Thirst
by Knightwolf
Summary: In the aftermath of her battle with the vampire Tataku, Motoko comes to terms with the fact she has been infected with vampirism. Now she strives to find a cure before she completely loses herself, if there is one.
1. For Want of a Drink

Hello everyone. The Motoko/Keitaro saga continues. This story is yet another sequal in my series which consists of my stories Compassionate Swordplay, Love's Sharp Blade, Moving Forward, You Have Me, Song of the Nightingale, and Night Shadows. This story is the seventh installment and will pick right up from the end of Night Shadows. If you haven't read Night Shadows yet, I highly suggest that you do before continuing, or you'll be missing a lot of needed info to understand the plot. That being said, I hope you enjoy my latest story:)

Disclaimer: Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu.

**Thirst**

Chapter I:

For Want of a Drink…

Over the mountainous wastes of Siberia, the strongest of winds blows thick with heavy snow. Some call it a blizzard. Others call it the White Demon. As we look below us, we see The Demon showing no mercy, punishing the two battling warriors as they leap back and forth in the deep snow.

As we get closer, their heated, fury filled words become loud and clear.

"Despite your newfound strength, I still have the advantage!" One said.

"Don't count on it." The other shot back.

The darker one then pinned the other down with her relentless, ironclad strength. She raised her head in the air and opened her mouth wide, revealing a pair of fangs that grew longer as she formed a devilish smile. She then sank them deep into the neck of the other with the ferocity of a starved wild animal. The other warrior screamed out madly as she tried to free herself, only to find that her struggles were futile.

"NOOOOOOO!!" Motoko screamed, quickly sitting up in her bed, her hand pressed tightly against the side of her neck. She panted heavily as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was running a mile a minute in her chest. The dream was terrifying and horribly vivid. She could still feel the sharp pain of her flesh being bitten into. After calming down somewhat, she quickly looked next to her, hoping that she didn't wake her love as she realized her scream must have been quite loud.

Keitaro was stirred for only a moment before he rolled over and fell back asleep. Seeing this, Motoko let out a breath of relief. A somber expression befell her as she slowly moved her hand away from her neck, revealing two tiny round scars about an inch apart.

The only difference between this nightmare and all others is this one really happened.

She keeps trying to reassure herself, attempting to dismiss the matter through apathy.

'It's just one bite. Just one bite. It doesn't mean anything.'

But this simple tactic of avoidance does little more than offset her worries. Even so, her mind still counts the hours.

'48 hours. It's been almost 48 hours since I've been bitten. _A short time after_, Tataku said. How short? Days? Weeks? How long does it take to become a vampire from a single bite?'

There are tons of myths and legends concerning vampire bites and symptoms, but when it comes down to solid fact, there is even less scientific data on the subject than there is actual proof. This unfortunate truth served as no consolation to Motoko. The only one person she could have asked on the matter is now a pile of ash, due to her own Dragon Heart powered bout of temporary insanity.

All was quiet on the Aoyama Estate, as she was only one still awake. Moving over and sitting on the edge of the soft king size bed, she glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. 2:14am. It has only been three hours since she fell back to sleep. She felt strange. It seemed as if her body didn't want to sleep. Like there was some sort of restlessness inside that she could not describe, compelling her to seize the night.

Even so, uneasy feelings of worry and anxiety still ate at her. Motoko's thoughts have never been so preoccupied over a single thing before. MotokodaWorries of infection from something she had never even believed existed before she came face to face with it in Tataku. But all these worries she kept to herself. She never once mentioned it to anyone. Not even to her best friend Naru as she updated her on the Tachibana situation during her flight from Tokyo to Kyoto the day before yesterday, nor did she even tell her own lover during their most intimate of moments. Still, she kept it to herself. Why? She wasn't certain. Regardless, she prays it's nothing to be concerned about. That maybe it will indeed turn out to be nothing and she will be free to move forward with her life together with her soon-to-be husband.

But is it just a foolish superstition keeping her silent about it? The notion, that if she tells someone about it, it will come true? Or was it something else? She wasn't sure, for she has never been in this situation before. Every time she thought about it, the tightness in her chest would get worse. Her heart would race. And her body would shake. She hated these feelings. Knowing there is nothing she can do but wait. Just wait…and see what happens.

She got up from the bed and stood there in the darkness as she silently looked out the window into the moonlit night. The cold December wind blew the powdery snow about, making it dance in the air as it sparkled in the light of the moon. She blankly stared along the tree line of the bare Sakura trees, her eyes tracing the thin branches that stretched out into the night air. Then a terrible realization occurred to her. Was she contagious?

'Oh, my God. Am I? Keitaro and I have already made love tonight. Is he in danger of being infected?! No, no. It can only be transmitted through bite, right? But even so…Ohhh, this is driving me insane!'

Frustrated, she threw on a night robe and stepped lightly but quickly out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Despite her lack of sleep, she was surprised at how fast and energetic she was as she moved quickly through the halls of the house. Not only that, even though it was the middle of the night and no lights were on in the mansion, she could still see perfectly fine. Though there were no visible light sources, everything around her seemed bright and clear, washed in gray tones.

She slid open the glass door leading to the wooden walkway outside that ran along the edge of the courtyard. She stepped out into the brisk frigid air and closed the sliding door behind her. Also to her surprise as she walked out into the wide courtyard, Motoko found that the biting cold night air did not affect her at all. Though surrounded by white, powdery snow and frozen ponds, it felt no different to her than an early spring day. Her breath was white in the moonlight as it formed tiny clouds that were lightly swept away by the gentle wind.

Motoko hesitated at first, then reached down and calmly untied her night robe. She opened it up and let it slide over her shoulders, down her arms, until it fell, lightly, to her bare feet. As she stood there in the open air of the winter night in nothing but her black lingerie, she felt no cold, only the comforting feeling of the gentle wind on her bare skin. Her body did not shiver, nor did her teeth chatter. She was comfortable, completely comfortable. The appearance of her porcelain-like fair skin illuminated by the light of the moon as she was surrounded by the white snow of the courtyard…she could easily have been mistaken for an angel in the night.

She slowly held up her hand before her eyes and looked at it.

'What the hell is happening to me? …is this how it begins?'

"Sweat lord, Ojou-sama!" Motoko heard behind her.

Motoko slowly turned her head to see Miss Hasegawa running up to her from the house.

Hasegawa grabbed the night robe at Motoko's feet and hastily wrapped it around her.

"What were you thinking, Ojou-sama?!" Hasegawa exclaimed as she carefully led the apathetic Motoko back towards the house. "You'll surely catch your death if you stay out here like that!"

As she walked, Motoko's dispassionate eyes moved slowly from the ground to the house.

"Catch…my death…" Motoko said in a monotone voice. Her mouth formed a smile, but in her eyes an intense sorrow became evident. "Maybe I already have…maybe…I'm already dead."

"Ojou-sama…" Hasegawa said. "Please don't say such things. You're scaring me."

Motoko snapped out of it and looked over at the worried woman who was holding her so carefully.

"I…I'm sorry, Miss Hasegawa. I don't know what came over me. Could you please help me back to my room?"

Hasegawa's worrisome expression lightened somewhat as she said,

"Certainly, Ojou-sama."

Hasegawa then carefully led Motoko inside.

The next morning, Motoko awoke to the feeling of someone shaking her.

"Motoko! Motoko!" She heard.

Her eyes slowly opened. The light stung her eyes for a long moment as they tried to adjust.

"Motoko!"

She then looked over next to her as her eyes became focused on the person who had been shaking her for an amount of time that she was unsure of.

It was Keitaro, with a terribly concerned look in his eyes as he stood over her.

"K…Keitaro?"

Keitaro then sat down on the side of the bed and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank god." He said, looking back at her.

Motoko then slowly sat up and put her hand to her forehead.

"Are you okay, Motoko?" Keitaro said, laying his hand on hers.

"I…I think so. What happened?" She sleepily asked.

"It was getting late so I tried to wake you, but no matter what I did, you just wouldn't wake up. I've been shaking you for ten minutes now."

"Ten minutes? Getting late? But it's only…" She then looked over at the clock on the nightstand which read 11:50am. "It's almost noon? But why do I still feel so tired?"

She turned her eyes to the sunshine outside, but then quickly closed them and turned her head away as the pain of the light in her eyes was just too much.

"Do you want me to call the family doctor?" Keitaro said, laying a hand on her forehead to check for fever. "Actually, you don't feel warm. If anything, you feel cold." He added.

As she slowly looked around the room, she remembered the night before and all of her agonizing worries.

"No, don't call the doctor, Keitaro." She said.

"Are you sure??"

"Yes…" She said, throwing the covers aside and sitting on the edge of the bed next to him. She laid her head in her hands and rubbed her face. "I'll be fine, just don't worry, okay?"

"But Motoko, your skin is freezing and you look so pale. It could be a serious case of anemia." He said, standing up and taking her by the shoulders.

'Anemia…' She thought. 'Oh, God if he only knew.'

She then looked up at him with a tender smile and said,

"I said I'll be fine, so please don't worry, my love. Okay?"

A look of frustrated concern came over him. He then turned his head away and let out an uneasy grunt.

"Alright, Motoko."

Seeing how obviously worried he was about her now, she gently placed her hands on his cheeks and turned his face back to hers. He looked into her warm, loving eyes, those eyes that lead to the very source of his happiness.

"Kei…" She said, showing him a tender smile as she lead him down to her. "…come here."

He slowly knelt down and eased into her loving arms. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"Motoko…" He whispered. "I love you so much…if there's something wrong…you can just tell me."

"I know, I know." She whispered back.

Her eyes then faltered as the look of angst washed over her features.

"Kei?"

"Yes?"

"Let's…let's go home…to Hinata." She said. She then buried her face in his shoulder, hiding her painful expression.

"Sure." He whispered before giving her neck a gentle kiss.

About an hour later, we see the two walking out through the main entrance towards the black Mercedes waiting out front. Clouds had since moved in overhead, making the skies overcast. Even so, as soon as Motoko walked outside, the light was more than her eyes could bear.

She immediately turned to one of the guards and said,

"Yusuke, could I borrow your sunglasses? This light is hurting my eyes."

He did not question her, despite the fact that it was pretty dark and gloomy out. Nor did he even raise an eyebrow. Without hesitation, he simply said, "Certainly, Ojou-sama." removed the glasses and handed them to her.

"Arigato." She said, quickly putting them on.

Her eyes felt such relief from the dark lenses as the stinging pain was finally shut out from her vision.

"Are your eyes still bothering you, Motoko?"

"Y-Yeah, they just can't seem to adjust, that's all."

"Really? Well, that's kind of strange."

The two got in the back seat of the car and off they went. As they travelled down the long highway that ran through vast snowy valleys, Keitaro took a moment to look over at Motoko who was sitting silently, staring out the window at the world passing by outside. Her sunglasses were still on, despite the tint on the car's windows.

"So," he said, attempting to draw her attention. "Are you hungry, Motoko? I figure you must be, since you haven't eaten yet today. We can stop at a restaurant on the way home. Does that sound good?"

Motoko just slowly shook her head as she said,

"No, I'm alright. If anything, I'm thirsty."

"Oh. Well here, take this." He said as he handed her a bottle of water from the slot inside the door next to him.

"Thank you." She said, taking the water.

She twisted off the cap and took a few sips. She then looked at it as an expression of disappointment came over her.

'It's no good. I'm still thirsty.'

"Is there something wrong with the water?" Keitaro asked, noticing her discontent frown.

"Oh, no, it's fine."

She then twisted the cap back on and set it aside.

Her eyes wandered back to the passing scenery outside the window. Keitaro began to stare out his window as well. Dark silver clouds moved along the horizon of the wide snow covered fields that passed by so quickly. Motoko laid her hands on her lap and folded them. She still felt so tired, like she's been awake for so long, which made no sense to her because she had just woken up from an apparently long sleep just an hour ago.

The clouds started to grow thin in a certain area in the sky above them. An opening formed, allowing the sun to shine a ray of light down onto the area. The light then shown in through the car window and onto the skin of Motoko's hands. With a loud gasp, she snapped her hands back as she felt a hot, burning feeling on top of them. This drew Keitaro's attention, making him turn back to her.

"What? What happened?" he asked, now alarmed.

"Oh, the, uh, road sign that just went by startled me. That's all."

"Oh…well they do seem to come out of nowhere when you're riding in the back seat, don't they?"

"Heh, yeah." She said, bringing herself to show a clumsy smile.

The ride home after that was a silent one. Keitaro would look back at her every so often. He tried to figure how to start a conversation, but would then become disheartened by the distant look on her face and thus retreated by continuing to look out the window himself. He didn't like this silence. He wasn't used to it. Especially with Motoko, as they can usually talk to each other for hours about the most trivial of things.

He knew something was bothering her, despite what she says. He couldn't see her eyes through the sunglasses, but he was sure that there was a look of anxiety there. Anxiety over what, though? What could be so bad that she can't even tell her own lover? These questions swirled in his head as he watched the bare gray trees of the forests that quickly passed his window.

'It's strange,' He thought 'she was perfectly fine last night, before we fell asleep. She gave me such a scare when she wouldn't wake up today. Then there's her appearance.' He looked over at her features. Her skin showed a snowy whiteness. An icy purple discoloration showed through on her lips. 'She looks ill because of how pale she is. Maybe she caught a 24 hour flu bug and she's just too embarrassed to say anything. No, that's not like her. Motoko never holds back and she always speaks her mind. So why isn't she telling me anything? Could it be something really serious? Maybe I'm looking into this too much. I trust her. If it is something serious, I'm sure she'll tell me when she's ready.'

Keitaro eased back in his seat, trying to relax as he continued to watch the scenery go by.

An awkward two hours had passed until finally they had arrived at the seaside town of Hinata. The car came to a stop at the foot of the tall steps leading up to the apartments. As Motoko was helped out of the vehicle, she felt grateful that the clouds had followed them all the way there.

They both turned to the driver.

"Thank you very much, Hige." Motoko said.

"It was my pleasure, Ojou-sama." He replied. "Both of you take care."

He then returned to the vehicle and the car drove off down the narrow streets.

Even though she appeared so tired and exhausted, Keitaro was surprised at how quickly Motoko climbed the stairs. He was actually doing his best to keep up with her.

Motoko had reached the top, with Keitaro panting heavily behind her.

Stepping up behind her, he said catching his breath,

"I…I don't think I've ever seen you climb these stairs like that before. Are you sure you're tired?"

"Y-Yeah. Um, sometimes tired people have quick bursts of energy, that's all."

"Oh, I see. I suppose that makes sense." He then took her hand and said, "Well, shall we go inside?"

"Yes." She said, showing him a lovely smile, mostly in an attempt to put his worries at ease.

On they walked, through the front doors of the apartments and into the main lobby. After closing the doors behind them, Keitaro called out, "Everyone, we're home!" Motoko took off her sunglasses as the light inside was agreeable to her eyes.

The first to appear was Shinobu, who peaked out from the kitchen. Her eyes lit up with happiness as she rushed over to them, a silver ladle still in her hand. The next to appear was Naru, who quickly came down the staircase, carrying a textbook with her. The last ones were Kitsune, emerging from the dining room and Su trotting along close behind her.

Naru immediately ran up and hugged Motoko and Keitaro.

"I'm so glad you two are home. If Motoko hadn't called me the other day, I would have been worried out of my mind. Welcome home, you two." Naru said with a bright smile.

"It's good to be home, Naru." Keitaro said.

They were then met by the eager hugs and welcoming words of everyone. After giving her a big hug, Kitsune then pulled back and noticed Motoko's complexion.

"My goodness, darlin', you look as pale as a ghost. Are you feelin' okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, Kitsune. I guess all those battles just took their toll on me. It's nothing to worry about."

"Well alright, but you should probably get yer self some rest, sweetie."

"I am pretty tired. I think I will, Kitsune." Motoko said, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

After all the welcoming was over, Motoko gave Keitaro a light rub on the shoulder. He saw the tiredness in her eyes and gave an understanding nod. She then slipped away and retreated to hers and Keitaro's bedroom on the second floor.

Closing the door behind her, she walked over and closed the sliding paper doors in front of the windows, closing out most of the light from the outside. She brought out the futon from the closet and rolled it out on the floor. She knelt down on top of it and smoothed out the covers with her hands. After she flipped the comforter to the side, Motoko sat down on the pillow, hugged her knees to her chest and became still. The silence that surrounded her was deafening.

Motoko then started to cry. As the tears started streaming down her cheeks, she covered her face with her hands.

Now crying out loud and her body shaking like the last leaf ready to fall in November, Motoko thought,

'I know what's happening to me, I do. It's just that I still can't believe it. I can't believe that something like this can destroy my hopes, my dreams, my entire future! I want to get married. I want to someday have a child with Keitaro. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. Those are my most cherished dreams.' A vision flashed in her mind of the menacing expression on Tataku's face as she reared her fangs in battle. 'If I turn into something like that _thing_ I fought, all my dreams will disappear forever. I love you, Keitaro. I love you so damn much! Will you hate me? Will you find me repulsive? I don't want you to shun me away. I don't ever want to be apart from you. Oh, what will I do? What will I do?'

She couldn't tell him. How could she tell him the words that up 'til now, she could barely say to herself.

'I'm…becoming a vampire.'


	2. Everything Was Lost

Hello again everyone. Thanks for the great reviews so far! One of you had asked if this story is a derivation of the situation in "Melty Blood". The truth is, I've never heard of Melty Blood before. Is it an anime? Manga? If someone knows, please email me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter:)

Disclaimer: Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu.

**Thirst**

Chapter II:

…Everything Was Lost.

Boom Boom Boom.

The loud noises woke Motoko right out of a dead sleep. She sat up in the dark with the light of the hallway peaking up at her from underneath the door. She heard the sounds again.

Boom, boom, boom.

What were they? What could these noises be that sounded like they should shake the whole building apart? The noises started to form a pattern and grow louder, like they were coming closer.

Boom, boom, **Boom**, **BOOM**,

They were so loud, almost deafening. Motoko covered her ears with her hands. Right at the moment when she was sure they couldn't get any louder and her ears seemed to scream, the door flew open. White blinding light poured into the room from behind a barely visible form. Motoko had to turn away, the pain in her eyes was too much.

"Motoko?"

The ceiling light above her head clicked on. She looked back and saw Keitaro standing there before her, his finger under the light switch.

"Keitaro?"

"Yeah." He said showing her a smile, walking in and closing the door behind him. He then walked over to his desk. "I didn't know all the lights were off in here. Sorry if the light hurt your eyes. You must have been asleep since before the sun went down."

"It's alright. Don't worry about it, hon." She said, half covering her eyes with her hand.

'That's right.' She thought. 'I must have cried myself to sleep. And those loud noises…were they his footsteps? My eyesight has gotten so sensitive. Now it's my hearing too?'

After her eyes adjusted completely, she looked over at Keitaro, who was sifting through this month's bills as well as today's mail.

"What…what time is it?" She said, running her fingers through her hair, straightening it from the sleep.

"Oh, it's um, about 6pm." He said, looking at his watch. "You had quite a nap there. Are you feeling better now?"

"Um…yeah. In fact, I feel great. It's like I'm totally recharged."

"Great. Oh, here's a letter for you. I think it's from one of the colleges you applied to." He said, handing her the envelope and a letter opening knife.

She got up, took the envelope and knife and sat back down, folding her legs to become more comfortable. She began slicing the envelope open, cutting along the folded edge when she accidentally sliced her forefinger.

"Gasp!" She let out, dropping the knife and envelope and holding her injured finger.

"What? What happened?" Keitaro asked, turning to her.

The sharp, stinging pain of an open cut, she had forgotten how it felt. Slowly, she opened her hand and looked at it. The blood that flowed heavily from the cut, suddenly stopped and to her amazement, the open cut had closed itself and disappeared, leaving only the smear of blood behind. She then hid the bloody finger from his view, non-chalantly wiping it on the edge of the futon.

She quickly turned to Keitaro and said,

"Oh, I thought I cut myself, but it turned out to be nothing." She then showed him the finger. "See?"

"I see. Well, I guess you should know better than anyone, how dangerous sharp objects are. Heh heh." He said, ending in a laugh.

"Heh heh, yeah."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Are you hungry, Motoko? Shinobu should have dinner ready soon." He said, sitting down next to her and rubbing her shoulders. "Wow, your muscles feel so tense. Like iron."

"Mmm, that feels good." She said, relaxing from the feeling of his skillful hands. "Well, I'm not really hungry. I am thirsty though."

As soon as she said that, a terrible pain struck inside her chest. It was far deeper and stronger than any desperate thirst she had ever felt before. She hunched over as she clutched her chest. Her eyes widened as she began to breathe heavily.

"Motoko? Motoko, what's wrong?!" Keitaro said, quickly circling to her front and holding her by her shoulders.

"I…I don't know." She said, weakly, shakily.

She then heard a steady beat. Ba-thump, Ba-thump. It was strange. It wasn't her own heartbeat. It was…his. She slowly looked up at him. She could feel his heat. She could sense the blood coursing through his body. She was drawn to it, needed it. The thirst had clearly defined its need, as if speaking to her in some unspoken language. She had lost control. Her body moved on its own. Wasting not a second, she grabbed Keitaro by the shoulders and pinned him down hard on top of the futon. Immediately, she moved her legs over him and straddled his waist.

Keitaro was shocked by the sheer strength with which she used to pin him down. He looked up and saw a seductive smile across her face as she looked back down at him, her long black silky hair coming down in streams, caressing his cheeks. He saw her eyes. Something was unusual there.

'Were her eyes always light hazel? No, they were brown.' He thought, as she leaned down and lightly rubbed her cheek along his shoulder and up the side of his neck like a playful cat.

"Motoko, what-" He was then interrupted.

"Make love to me, Keitaro." She said in a quiet voice full of needful desire.

"What? Right now?"

"Right here, right now." She said, sensually rubbing her pelvis in circles over his.

Her smile grew wide like that of a cheshire cat.

"But Motoko, they're expecting us downstairs." He said, trying to get up, but was immediately pinned down again with the same strength he felt before.

"I don't care. I want it _now_."

She leaned down and began to forcefully kiss him, shoving her tongue in his mouth. Motoko was no longer thinking. Her body was acting completely on instinct. Shocked at first at how utterly sexually hungry she was, he then moved in and began to kiss back. He broke the kiss and began to plant sensual kisses into the nape of her neck.

"Yes…yes. That's it, baby." She said seductively, closing her eyes and running her fingers up the back of his neck and through his hair.

He rolled her over and pushed her down to the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he opened up her kimono and planted kisses down the middle of her chest. With a sensual lick, he went back up her chest and began to hungrily kiss her neck. She moved his head to the side, exposing the side of his neck. She tilted her head and moved in, giving slow kisses and long licks over the surface of his neck. She then moved her head back slightly and smiled again, showing her teeth, reveling in the ecstasy of it all.

But she wanted more, _needed_ more. In her smile, sharp fangs suddenly grew in. In the irises of her eyes, the color of crimson red flowed in. They were the eyes of the hunter, and her prey was so close. She slowly opened her mouth over his jugular vein. This need to suck the very life from him, it was overpowering, impossible to deny. Closer, closer. Just a little more. Her mouth watered for what she desired. Closer, closer!

Just as her unnaturally long canines grazed the surface of his skin, a vision suddenly shot into her head. It was the sight of Keitaro, smiling his sweet, loving smile.

She jerked her head away and pulled back.

"NOOOOOOOO!" She yelled, pushing him away.

Motoko got up and ran towards the door. Within seconds, she suddenly found herself in the outer courtyard, her bare feet planted in the deep snow. She looked at her surroundings, amazed and almost dumfounded.

"I moved…so fast."

A painful expression came as she began to cover her face with her hands. She then stopped when her eyes saw her hands. They were white as the snow surrounding her. Instead of pink nails, sharp black claws covered her fingertips.

"Oh God, Keitaro. I've become a monster." She then looked back to the apartments. "I almost did it. I almost drank his…blood."

Exercising the same speed, she made her way back into the building and appeared before the door of her old room. She opened the door, walked inside and hastily locked it behind her. She sat down in the middle of the room, hugged her knees to her chest and started to rock herself back and forth. She would come back here to her room now and then. Whenever she needed someplace quiet to be to clear her head. Times when she and Keitaro would have a fight or when the stress of school would become too much, this is where she would go. Now she seeks solace from something completely new.

'I almost did it. Our dreams, our future, everything. They're all lost. Dead, as if I've killed them all. I can't stay here anymore. I have to get away from him. It's the only way he'll be safe. I have to leave here tonight.'

Back in Keitaro's room, he sat there, frozen in shock, staring his door, which had been ripped off the frame and was now laying there on the floor in front of him. A few beads of sweat clung to his forehead.

"S-She…she did this?" He said, finally breaking the silence.

Shaking his head and snapping out of it, he got up and ran out into the hallway.

"I have to find her!"

He ran to the one place he was sure she would go. The only place she would feel most safe, her own private sanctuary. His loud steps came to a stop at her door. Catching his breath, he grabbed the handle and tried to open it. Then he banged on her door.

"Motoko? Motoko! Please answer me!"

Inside, Motoko looked up at the door with such a look of fear coming over her.

"S-Stay away! Keitaro, stay away from me!" She called out.

"Please, Motoko. Just open the door. Please!"

"No! I don't want to hurt you!" She yelled back.

"That's it. I'm coming in!"

"NO!!"

He moved back a few steps and then rammed into the door, breaking it down.

The light of the hallway shown down upon Motoko's shivering, terrified form. He then flipped on the light.

"No! Don't look at me!" She said, covering her face with her clawed hands.

Keitaro looked down at his beloved. Her skin was like porcelain. The nails on her fingers were long, pointed and black as onyx. For a moment, he stood there in disbelief, just looking at her, this woman who was shaking on the floor in front of him.

He knelt down in front of her, took her hands in his and slowly moved them away from her face. Hesitantly at first, she then looked up at him. The fangs that were peeking out from under her upper lip were long, white and sharp. The icy purple discoloration under her eyes made her look frozen as an ice statue, despite her shaking. He saw her eyes, the color of the deepest red rubies. Tears started to form in those eyes that looked at him so fearfully.

"Motoko…" Was all that he could say as all other words just would not come.

Motoko shed several tears down her cheeks.

"You see it now? I'm a monster. A horrible thing! You hate me now, don't you? I'm repulsive. It's all finished. Everything we've worked for is lost!"

"Stupid!" Keitaro snapped.

Motoko let out a gasp at his loud voice.

"Why…why would you ever think I would stop loving you?" He said in anger, the gaze of intensity now in his eyes.

"Keitaro…I-"

"Did you forget? For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. You and me, forever and ever." He then cradled her face in his hands. "So I ask you again: Why would you ever think I would stop loving you?"

"Oh, Keitaro."

She then threw herself into his arms as she began to cry out loud. He held her so close. He was so afraid that if he let go of her, she would disappear again. So he held onto her as tight as he could, this woman he loves more than life itself.

"Motoko…are you a…Vampire?" he said, slowly. "How did this happen?"

Her tears subsiding somewhat, she said,

"It was the battle with Tataku. I neglected to tell you…she bit me. I didn't want to believe it at first. Then I thought that when you found out, you would hate me."

"Don't be ridiculous. I could never hate you."  
"I love you, Keitaro. God, I love you so much."

"I love you, Motoko, more than anything in this world."

"But…I can't stay here, Keitaro."

"What??"

"I can't trust myself anymore. I almost lost control tonight. I almost hurt you. My fangs were right on the skin of your neck. Next time you might not be so lucky."

"But, Motoko…we can work this out. That's what couples do when they have problems, they work them out."

"No…not problems like this. I love you, Keitaro. I always will. So…please forgive me."

"Forgive you? For what?"

"For this."

Suddenly, Keitaro fell unconscious.

Motoko had struck him in the back of the neck. She carefully laid him down on the floor.

She then leaned down and gently kissed his lips.

"I love you. I need you. But…I just can't be near you. The danger I pose to you is far too great. I hope someday you'll understand."

She stood up and turned to her old closet. She opened it up and looked at the black Japanese armor standing up inside. This suit of armor is her most prized possession. She polished it regularly and always kept it in good repair. She stripped down and walked into the closet. Then, piece by piece, she placed the armor over her body. The helmet was left behind. She never really cared for helmets. They didn't go with her fighting style. Helmets are cumbersome. They narrow the field of vision, limit the head's range of motion. Therefore, they limit everything else. So there it remained on the wooden stand.

Now, suited up, she reached back and put up her hair in the traditional way of the samurai. She picked up the Katana and Wakizashi swords from the display stand next to where the armor had stood and slid them through the strap around her waist. She turned and walked toward the door, but then looked back for a moment at Keitaro laying there on the floor. She held up her hand, removed the glove and looked at the sparkling engagement ring on her finger. She then closed her hand and held it close to her heart.

Making not a sound, she disappeared from the room, causing only a slight gust of wind in her wake.

Downstairs, Shinobu walked back and forth in the kitchen, making the finishing touches on tonight's dinner. Her usual sweet smile on her face as she sang an upbeat song, she readied each plate with equal love and care. She had prepared more than enough steamed rice, a large salad with plenty of green leafy vegetables, grilled chicken breast, sliced and served with teriyaki, and baked sweet potatoes.

'I want them to have their favorites on their day back.' Shinobu thought, walking into the dining room and setting the salad bowl in the center of the table. 'Sweet potatoes for Keitaro and chicken teriyaki for Motoko. Motoko seemed so tired, so I made this healthy salad to help give her some energy. I wonder what's keeping them? They should be down here by now. I hope nothing is wrong.'

Meanwhile, miles away along a darkened country road, we see Motoko running faster than any human eye can see. On her legs, she crossed hundreds of meters with each stride. In her eyes, the look of pain burned. Her thoughts? Broken, scattered. She wasn't sure of her destination. What she was sure of was that she had to get as far away as possible. Away from her friends, her loved ones, and especially her beloved Keitaro.

'A cure. There has to be a cure. A cure exists for everything, right? It just has to be found. I will find it. And on that day, I will return to you, my love. I swear it!'

Her long hair moved in rolling waves on the strong blowing wind that moved over her. The camera slowly moved away as she poured on more speed. A loud sonic boom echoed off the surrounding hills as she broke the sound barrier with little effort.

Is she strong enough to fight this thing inside her that aimed to take control, or is she merely dashing head-on into a losing battle? Time will surely tell.


	3. What Mortals Fear

Hey everyone. Here it is, chapter 3. Special thanks to Mr. Lee for answering my question, much appreciated. And thanks to everyone for all the great reviews. I hope you like this latest chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu.

**Thirst**

Chapter III:

What Mortals Fear

Keitaro found himself walking along a quiet dirt road in what looked like the country. It was nighttime and not a soul was around. Wide fields of tall wheat were to his right and to his left. The full moon was overhead, illuminating the fields in a pale blue gold. At the edge of these fields stood a thick black forest. As he walked along, he became more and more aware of strange sounds coming from that forest. He stopped and listened for a moment. Then it became clear. It sounded like a woman crying in the darkness, but he couldn't tell which part of the forest it was coming from. The crying was loud, filled with pain and such terrible sorrow.

He was about to cross the fields to investigate when he saw an old lady pass him by, pulling behind her a wooden cart with a lit kerosene lantern hanging from the side.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" He said, waving at her to hold on for a moment.

With an "Eh?" she stopped. She then turned to him and said, "Oh, hello. Haven't seen you around here before. You must be a new comer. What can I do for you, young sir?"

She had a distinct English accent, giving Keitaro a better idea of where exactly he was.

"Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering. That crying coming from the forest, do you know anything about it?"

"Oh, sir." She said, getting close and speaking in a hushed voice. "T'is The Weaping Shadow. She is a creature who lives in the forest and only comes out at night. Cries all night, she does. Why? No one knows for sure. Some say she was human once. Came from some far away land where she suffered some terrible affliction that changed her into something ravenous. Because of this, she left her one true love, for fear if she didn't, he would fall victim to her horrible bloodlust. Never able to see her lover again, she cries all night long, every night, just as she has for the past hundred years."

"Hundred years?" Keitaro repeated.

"Yes. Terribly sad, it is."

Keitaro then looked back to the forest, narrowing his eyes to try to see into the darkness of the forest to no avail. His eyes then widened as he came to a sad realization.

"…Motoko…"

Keitaro awoke on the floor with an incredible throbbing pain in the back of his neck as well as a raging headache. He sat up with a groan as he held the back of his neck with one hand and his head with the other. He then straightened his glasses as they were sitting crooked on his face.

"Oooooh, man." Keitaro groaned. He looked around and remembered where he was and what had taken place. "She must have knocked me out." He stood shakily to his feet, trying to maintain his balance. "Motoko, what the hell are you thinking? What makes you think you can take this on alone? Damn it." He slowly turned to the open doorway. "I have to find her. Whether she realizes it or not, she needs help. God, she can be so stubborn."

He then heard eager footsteps coming up the hallway. They stopped in the doorway. He looked up and saw Naru standing there, panting heavily with an extremely worried look on her face.

"Keitaro! Thank God I found you. We got worried when you two didn't show up to dinner." She said, grabbing his hand.

Keitaro looked at his watch. He was out for over an hour.

"I couldn't find Motoko anywhere. Do you know where she is?" She said, looking around the darkened room.

Keitaro slowly shook his head 'no', still trying to clear the painful haze that fogged his perceptions.

"Well, come on then, help me find her!" She said, pulling him to come with her.

He then held her hand back and said,

"It's no use. She's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean?"

"Motoko…she knocked me out and took off."

"I don't understand." She then folded her arms, gave him a stern look and said, "What is going on, Keitaro?"

Keitaro slowly sat down on the floor as Naru did the same. He then looked up at her and said,

"Remember the warrior Motoko fought? Tataku? Well, it turns out Tataku was a vampire and during the fight, Motoko was bitten. Now she's showing symptoms of vampirism."

"You can't be serious. Motoko a vampire?"

"I've never been more serious in my life. Have you been upstairs and seen the door to my room? Motoko did that. Naru, she's become so strong and fast."

"Why didn't she come to us for help?" Naru said, turning away.

"She said she was no longer able to control herself. She was afraid of hurting me. Besides, you know how she is. She can be so stubborn and she would typically rather take on her problems all by herself than trouble others. Naru, I have a feeling this thing will eat Motoko inside and out until she'll eventually become someone totally different. The Motoko we know will fade away and in her place will be a cold blooded killer." He gave a sigh of defeat. "Considering that, maybe she was right to isolate herself. But even so, there has to be something we can do for her."

Naru was beside herself.

"I can't believe this. Why do things like this keep happening, Keitaro?"

"I don't know." He said as his gaze fell. "Listen, we have to find her and help her, Naru." His head then snapped up as something struck him.

"But how are we supposed to do that?"

"I have an idea." He said, quickly standing up and helping her up as well. "Come on, come with me."

They both ran out of the room and disappeared down the stairs.

On the top floor of the Tachibana Tower, Mei sits quietly in her cushioned black leather chair facing the wide plate glass windows before her as she looked out over the sparkling city lights below. Several reports were scattered across the desk behind her. One of them was a report on how the Tachibana stock was at an all time high and business was as great as it's ever been. Another reported that production was up and costs were down.

Her legs were crossed in a feminine pose. Her elbows rested on the arms of the chair as her hands were folded together in quiet patience. HHkkkShe wore a stylish gray woman's business suit with expensive black leather shoes. Worn over the suit was her father's treasured black leather trench coat, a precious hand-me-down. She wore it always, to honor her father's memory as well as his legacy. The chair she sat in was her father's. The desk, the office, all of it was his. Mei kept it all just as he had kept it, not allowing a single thing to be moved or changed.

Despite all of her efforts to preserve her father's honor, she would not, however, continue his ideals. Her father lived for conquest. To conquer and to crush all enemies, no matter the cost. Mei on the other hand, chose to promote peace and prosperity. Be that as it may, why, one might ask does she still allow all the relics of war to remain in the room? Is it to simply honor her father's memory? No, it's far more than that. She keeps them where they are as a constant reminder of what she must never give in to again: War, battle, hatred, madness. From now on, she wishes to extend the olive branch before she extends her sword.

She well knows that once she did indeed believe in the same ideals as her father had, wholeheartedly. Once. But that is in the past. She has experienced much this past month. Her eyes were opened. She realized many truths, about the world and about herself. As a result, she considers herself changed, saved from a life of perpetual hatred and vengeance. It is all thanks to one person. A woman she once pursued time and time again as a loathed enemy, but now considers a dear friend.

The desk phone rang behind her, interrupting her quiet contemplation. Quickly turning in the chair, she picked up the phone, leaned back in her chair and said,

"Yes, Saki. An urgent call from Keitaro Urashima, you say? Sure, put him through."  
Mei then put it on speaker phone. The line clicked as her personal assistant patched the call through. Mei leaned forward in her chair as Keitaro's desperate voice came over the speaker.

"Miss Tachibana? Are you there?!"

"Yes, Keitaro. Just calm down and tell me what's going on."

"It's Motoko. Something's happened to her."

"Motoko?"

"She was bitten by Tataku during their battle. We believe she's been infected."

Mei shuddered as she feared the implications.

"Where is she? Is she there now?!" She asked eagerly.

"No, she left us. She ran off. I have no idea where."

"Keitaro, I want you to listen to my questions very carefully and I want you to answer as best you can. Has she become sensitive to sunlight? Has her body moved faster than you could see? Has her strength grown exponentially? Has she been thirsty, regardless of how much she's had to drink?"

After a moment's pause as he thought about it, he said,

"Yes. They're all true."

"Has she threatened you in any way, feeling compelled to bite you."

"…Yes."

"My God." Mei said, falling back in her chair. "Keitaro, your suspicions are correct. Motoko has indeed been infected with vampirism. Think carefully. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

"No, I'm sorry. Before she left, she was about to bite me, but she held herself back and said she was a danger to me. Then she knocked me out and took off. Mei I have to find her. I need to help her. I won't let her go through this alone."

After hearing his words, Mei formed a pleasant smile.

"You're a good man, Keitaro. She's lucky to have you." Her expression then turned to worry. "Regardless, It's been more than three days, which means the change is now complete. With the kind of power she now possesses, she could be anywhere in the Kanto area by now. Maybe even anywhere in the country."

"I…I see."

"Keitaro, I will give you my help. As much as I want to perform this mission, I believe the right lies solely with you. Whatever fading humanity she has left needs you, her fiancé to bring her back from the darkness. You may be the only one who can reach her."

"I understand. What do you want me to do?"

"A helicopter will arrive there in twenty minutes. It will bring you directly here. I'll explain the rest once you arrive."

"Thank you so much, Miss Tachibana!"

"It's no problem. I would do anything for Motoko. I'll see you when you get here."

Mei pressed the button and ended the call. She turned back to the view outside the window.

'I just pray she hasn't acted on her blood craving instincts yet.'

The wind screamed in her ears as Motoko blazed over the land at sub-sonic speeds. It felt invigorating, this incredible rush of power flowing through her. It fueled her every step, her every breath. She felt no exhaustion, only the constant push to go farther and faster, to continue to explore the limits of these strange new abilities.

An hour ago, however, her opinion was quite different. She wanted nothing to do with these new powers that flowed within her. She saw them as a curse and more than anything wanted to get rid of them. Now her opinion seems to have changed, even faster than her body had.

Jumping over mountains, ripping through valleys, and skimming over the surfaces of lakes and rivers. This indescribable feeling, she loved it. Travelling here and there and then back again, the entire island of Honshu had become her playground. She ran from coast to coast, hopping between the mountains of Fukushima, leaping over the military bases of Sendai, sliding down the snow covered decline from the top of Mount Fuji, crossing the waters of Mutsu Bay, dancing through the vast forests of Okayama.

All of it put a bright smile on her face. She felt unstoppable, invincible. Like nothing in this whole wide world could touch her. There were no more limits, not by air nor earth nor water nor man. Even the ultimate limit of mortality had been lifted. She has never felt so free.

She was so enthralled by it all that she had completely forgotten about Hinata, her friends and her beloved Keitaro. It would seem the world of mortals had no longer concerned her. She had even disregarded her precious search for the cure. Motoko was too spellbound to care anymore. She wanted nothing more than to enjoy this new life to its fullest.

Then, as she was approaching Shimonoseki, where she planned to cross over to the island of Kyushu, she suddenly felt the terrible thirst hit once more. This time it was even worse than before. So much so that the pain caused her to keel over, hit the ground, skid and roll along two and half miles of cold hard highway-grade asphalt. She finally came to a stop along the side of the road, near an old abandoned bus station that looked as if it hadn't been used since 1942.

Her broken bones had mended themselves instantly, her dislocated shoulder had snapped itself back into place, and her open wounds had all disappeared. As she laid there in the fetal position, the pain in her midsection growing exponentially worse, she remembered the one 'limitation' she still possessed, 'need' to be more specific. Without this thing she craved, she would starve, grow weak, and perhaps even die.

She slowly rose to her feet. This dark need inside of her was taking over once more. Motoko pulled the tie from her hair, letting it flow freely in the wind. She steadily walked out into the middle of the highway. Moving the hair back from her face with both hands and tying it up once more, Motoko looked on down the road. Nothing but quiet stillness lay all the way to the horizon. Then she saw a faint light on the road below her and shadows growing from her feet. She turned around. Two bright headlights were coming at her, fast.

It was a red sports car. Inside was a young wealthy businessman, driving at almost 90 miles per hour, talking on his cell phone and not paying attention to the road in front of him. He didn't see Motoko appear in the road ahead until it was too late. He dropped his cell phone, grabbed the wheel with both hands and slammed on the brakes as Motoko was mere feet from the hood of his car.

Motoko saw the lights coming right at her. She no longer had any fear. Why would she? The body she now possessed seemed full of limitless possibilities. Time around her slowed down to a crawl for Motoko, but her body was still able to move like normal. The falling snowflakes were frozen in midair. Several meters away, a wolf sat still in the pouncing position behind a rabbit stuck in place. The red hood of the car slowly inched closer at the pace of a turtle. She could see the wide-eyed expression of shock on the driver as he gritted his and held a death-grip on the wheel.

She raised her clenched fists high and then slammed them down on the hood of the car. Time returned to normal as the car flipped over her and performed somersaults through the air, finally coming to a skidding landing several hundred feet behind her.

Inside, the driver fully conscious and thankful to still be alive, shivered as he looked around. Blood trickled down his forehead from where it had hit the steering wheel. The middle of the front end was completely pushed from where Motoko had hit it. Part of the engine had entered the cab, crushing the driver's lower legs, but he was too much in shock for the pain to register yet. Fuel was leaking from the punctured gas tank and spilling onto the highway.

He looked out his driver's side window and saw Motoko's chilling red eyes staring right back at him. Motoko grabbed both ends of the door, the metal screeching as she dug her fingers in. With no effort at all, she tore it right off and tossed it aside like it was nothing.

Now regaining his ability of speech as Motoko slowly moved closer, he yelled,

"Y-You! You crazy bitch! You destroyed my car, ripped off my door! Just what the hell are you?!"

Motoko paused and thought about it for a moment, an apathetic expression on her face. Then she formed a smile as her fangs grew long and simply said,

"I am…your death."

With her vampire speed, she closed the distance between them and sank her teeth into his neck. He tried to fight her, but it was like battling an iron clamp that had grabbed hold of him. As Motoko drank more and more, his screams and struggles became less and less, until finally he was quiet. His heart had stopped. He was dead.

She slowly moved back, wiped the blood from her lips and licked it from her hand. It was then she felt the sweet rush of power flow through her. This sensation. Like burning hot lava, a rushing river, a raging storm, surging electricity. It was so hard to describe, but she felt it and it was so good. As the feeling began to ebb, she looked at the corpse that now sat in the driver's seat.

Murder.

Though it didn't occur to her, she had crossed that line without even flinching.

Everything she was is now irrelevant to her. Mankind's laws, mankind's morality, they no longer applied to her, nor did they matter. The Motoko she had been was now gone, drowned in the blood she had just drank. She was now reborn into something darker, more horrible than any human dare imagine.

Motoko turned and began to walk away in slow, confident steps as if completely satisfied with what she had done. She stopped for a moment and sniffed the air.

"Gasoline, eh?"

She turned around, looked down and saw the puddle of fuel widening at the edges of her feet. Drawing her sword, she stepped back. With a quick swipe, the blade produced several sparks, igniting the fuel. The flame swiftly snaked its way all the way back to the gas tank. The tank immediately exploded, turning the car into a raging ball of fire. Everything inside became charred beyond recognition. A pleased smile was on her face as she sheathed her sword, the high reaching flames reflecting in her eyes.

As she watched the blaze, she said,

"Vampires. We wouldn't want any more of us running around, now would we?"

Then, with a strong gust of wind and the sound of rumbling thunder in the distance, she was gone.

Atop the Tachibana building stood Mei, patiently waiting on the fighting stage that also served as a helipad. Her assistant, Kitagawa, stood beside her holding a file folder in her hands. Mei heard the steady chop of rotor blades as a black helicopter quickly approached from the west. Coming in above her, it circled around and descended to the helipad below. On the side of it read, 'Tachibana Corp'. It touched down for a landing in front of Mei as the strong wind from the blades blew her short hair about wildly. The rotor blades began to slow as Mei started to walk closer.

The side door slid open and out hopped Keitaro.

"Right this way, Keitaro! Follow me!" Mei said, yelling over the sound of the loud rotor engine.

Mei took hold of his arm as she hastily led him to the elevator with Kitagawa jogging close behind. Now inside, the elevator doors closed and they descended into the building. Once in the office they quickly moved to the main elevator. Inside, Mei pushed the button for the 34th floor. Descending again, Mei turned to Keitaro and said,

"We're heading directly to our Bioresearch Lab, where I can explain the situation best." She then turned her eyes to Kitagawa. "Saki, if you please."

Kitagawa then handed him the file she had been holding. On the side it read 'Top Secret' in red lettering.

"What's this?" Keitaro asked as he opened the file.

"That is the research file on 'Tataku', also known as Illyana Russovich. She had volunteered herself for our research in the vampire phenomenon. At first she was completely against it, but as soon as my father asked her, her attitude had completely changed and was with the project 100."

Keitaro opened to a photo of Tataku.

"This…this is her?" He said, the very image filling him with wonder and fear.

"Yes. She and my father had become…close in their final days."

"I see."

The readout above them read '34th floor'. With a ding, the doors opened and they walked out onto the floor of the vast laboratory. Highly advanced equipment filled the entire floor. Super computers, Electron microscopes, Genetic coding templates, and specimen tanks surrounded them as well as several other complex pieces of equipment that Keitaro couldn't even guess at what they were. Many technicians in white lab coats walked to and fro, working diligently on unknown research.

Mei led them to a glass office at the far corner of the floor. Once inside, the glass doors closed behind them and the huge 52 inch computer monitor in front of them lit up. Mei walked over to the keyboard and punched in a few codes. She pressed enter and several images appeared on the screen.

"From what you could probably gather from skimming through the file in your hands, our research with Tataku was extremely rewarding and fruitful. Our scientists were able to study her entire anatomy. Blood, tissue structure, everything. This is what we learned." She enlarged an image of several viral cells. "Vampirism is not caused by magic or mystical curses. It is caused by a virus, perhaps the oldest and most unique strain of virus on the planet. What you see here is the virus itself, codenamed 'Vamp-126'. The greatest characteristic that separates this virus from all others is the resulting disease from infection does not cause death, but indefinite life. The virus is carried in the saliva of the infected host. It is then transmitted through bite to its victim. If the victim survives the attack, that's when the virus goes to work."

She then enlarged photos of several strange looking red blood cells and an unusual skin tissue cross section.

"In 72 hours, the virus completes its course throughout the body, changing its structure and systems completely. As a result of the virus's effects, the red blood cells can no longer sustain hemoglobin. Thus, the need for blood. All melanin responsible for skin tone disappears and the skin becomes severely vulnerable to UV rays. However, the durability of the skin itself is increased incredibly. The speed and efficiency of the nervous system is increased by approximately 20 times. Naturally, all of the senses are heightened to unimaginable levels. If you will watch the video, you will see Tataku demonstrating what we call, Dark Speed. This video you see is running at 200 frames per second."

The video showed Tataku standing at one end of a large room and a cup sitting on a table at the other end. Tataku and the cup disappeared. Then she reappeared with the cup in hand. Mei showed the video again at extreme slow motion. Milliseconds were being slowly counted in the lower right corner. We see Tataku run to the other end of the room, grab the cup and run back to where she started.

"The muscle structure becomes very dense and highly reinforced, increasing muscle capacity by approximately 50 times. The skeletal system is also reinforced, resulting in durability similar to that of carbon steel. These things, combined with the improved nervous system, results in the Dark Speed ability."

Dental X-Rays then appeared on the screen.

"The canines in the maxilla become elongated and retractable. During feeding, they come out, making it easier to pierce the main artery of their victims."

Mei brought up another video. This one, showing Tataku with a deep wound on her arm.

"Along with the above mentioned abilities, Vamp-126 also grants the body with accelerated healing and regenerative capabilities. As you can see, Tataku was able to completely heal this wide gash on her arm in a matter of seconds. This is due to the accelerated healing. The lack of any scar being left behind is a direct result of tissue regeneration."

The next video showed Tataku levitating and flying about the room. Gracefully, as if she were swimming under water.

"We were never able to determine for sure the mechanism behind Tataku's ability of flight. One theory suggested telekinetic abilities that she directed on herself. Another theory was the presence of psychic waves that disrupted the flow of gravitons around her body. At this point, we are still uncertain."

Despite being a layman, Keitaro was able to keep up with the explanation pretty well.

"Miss Tachibana," Keitaro started.

"It's okay if you call me Mei. It's easier that way."

"Mei. So what you're saying is, this Vamp-126 is basically a virus with a purpose?"

"Correct. What that purpose is and the virus's exact origin are still uncertain."

Mei pressed a button and the screen went blank.

"From our research, we were able to develop a cure."

"Really? You did??" Keitaro said, overjoyed.

"Don't get too excited." Mei said. "But I'll get to that in a minute. The cure, called 'V Detox-472', is basically an anti-viral drug, designed to block the virus's receptor molecules, isolate it and ultimately flush it out of the body's system. Judging from the results in our test subjects, all traces of the virus were removed and all bodily systems were returned to normal."

"Amazing." Keitaro said.

"Now the bad news." Mei started, folding her arms and leaning back on the desk top behind her. "All the vials of the cure were stored right here in this lab. A vampire hunter group called The White Wolves, somehow learned of its existence. Two months ago, they broke in and stole the cure as well as all the data pertaining to its research and development. They managed to evade our pursuit teams and fled to a location in the middle of Hokkaido. With infrared satellite imaging, we were able to track them to their base of operations."

"If you know their location then why haven't you moved in on them by now?"

"At the time, we had bigger enemies to be concerned with, so we chose to observe them for the time being." Mei then walked over to the window, pulled up the shades and looked out over the city lights. "Now with Motoko infected, we need to retrieve that cure. That's where you come in, Keitaro."

"What? Me?"

"Before I ask anything of you, I will first ask you this. Are you willing risk your very life to save Motoko?"

Without a second's hesitation, Keitaro said,

"Yes, absolutely. Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it."

"Good. Then I will choose you for this retrieval mission. I have confidence in your abilities. Seeing as you've trained with both Seta Noriyasu and Motoko for years, you should be able to hold your own in a good fight. You will go through your mission briefing and be fitted with your equipment at 0700 hours tomorrow morning. One of our Black Hawk Helicopters will then take you to Hokkaido. You will disembark at 0800 hours. I suggest you get some rest before then." Mei then turned to Kitagawa. "Saki, will you please escort him to one of our executive suites?"

With a bow, she replied,

"Certainly, my Lady."

"Keitaro, I'll see you in the morning." Mei said, Kitagawa then leading him out the door.

"Right. I'll see you then."

"Oh, Keitaro, by the way." Mei called out, causing Keitaro to stop and turn back to her. "I was never able to apologize to you."

"For what?" he asked.

"For shooting you with that poison dart."

"Oh, that. Well, it's all in the past now. Besides, you gave Motoko the serum that saved me, right? So it's alright. Have a goodnight, Mei." He ended, showing her a pleasant smile.

"Goodnight, Keitaro."

Mei watched them as Keitaro and Kitagawa stepped onto the elevator. The doors then closed. Mei turned back to the window and looked out once more. A somber expression came over her as she looked to the northern horizon.

"Where are you, my friend? With the power you have now, you could be anywhere. Are you still you, Motoko? Or has the changed blood in your veins washed away your soul?"

Arriving on the 48th floor, Keitaro was shown into a spacious and luxurious suite. All the lights automatically turned on as they walked into the room. Kitagawa walked into the middle of the large living room area, the long windows before her giving a wide and beautiful view of Tokyo.

She turned to him and said,

"This is the living room. The kitchen is behind you to the left. The bedroom is through that door to your right. Inside is a king size bed. The shower and bath should be in the adjoining room. If there is anything you should need, anything at all, just use the white phone next to the bed. As soon as you pick it up, it should ring directly to the help desk downstairs. They should be able to take care of all your needs. Is there anything else you will be requiring while I'm here, Mr. Urashima?"

Keitaro took a moment to look around the room.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you, Miss Kitagawa."

"Then I will be taking my leave. Goodnight, Mr. Urashima."

"Yes, goodnight."

After Kitagawa left, Keitaro got settled in. He walked into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. He removed his glasses and set them down on the nightstand. He then laid his head in his hands and became silent for a moment. With a sniffle, he raised his head again to reveal watery eyes and a few tears rolling down his cheeks. He had never felt such heartache before. Now that he was alone, he finally felt the full weight of it. All he could think about was Motoko and the last moment they shared together.

'Motoko…God, I miss you so much.'

Upstairs, sitting at her desk once more, Mei was holding the phone in her hand as if unsure of how to proceed. The phone itself was beeping in her hand from being off the hook for too long. She then clicked the receiver to get the dial tone back and dialed a certain number. After two rings, someone picked up on the other end.

"Hello…this is Mei Tachibana. I need to speak with Him right away concerning an urgent matter."

At the Aoyama estate in Kyoto, Kenji Aoyama sat in his quarters, quietly contemplating the Chinese philosophies of Zhuangzi as he looked over the scrolls laid out before him. It was late and the candle next to him was growing low. A knock then came to his door.

"Yes? Come in."

The door opened and in walked Hasegawa with a cordless phone in her hands.

"Sir, its Mei Tachibana on the phone. She says it's urgent."

She then handed him the phone. Kenji raised the phone to his ear and said,

"Mei? What is the matter?" Hearing her words as she spoke in such a grave tone, he knew something was seriously wrong. "Motoko, you say? What-" Kenji paused as he heard more. Then a grim expression befell him as he felt his heart drop. "…Oh, no…Oh, no. Where is she now? Mei…please find her…and help her."

Back in her office, Mei said,

"I'm already on it. I give you my word, Kenji, Motoko will be normal again. Yes. Goodbye."

Mei then slowly hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair.

'I can't even imagine how you must feel, Kenji. But I do know how I feel and I could be worried enough for the both of us. Motoko…I just pray you find your way back to the light.'

Forty miles south of Nakashima we see Motoko darting down an empty highway. The emotional intoxication she had felt from satiating her blood thirst had worn off. Slowly she had regained her faculties and come to fully realize what she had done and what she's been doing. Now, fully aware of this, she was beside herself with grief and self loathing. So many emotions were boiling up inside her. Anger, frustration, regret, angst, remorse, along with so many more she could not describe.

Finally it all reached the breaking point and came out in one explosive scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

With a loud BOOM, she shot up from the road, leaving a deep crater behind. Her body arched upward into the sky as she glided on the icy air at high speed. She was flying. Without thinking, she took to the skies and flew.

Not amazed at what she had just done, she curved to the west. Going ever faster, she crossed the Ocean of Japan and headed for the Asian continent. Motoko only had one thing on her mind. She wanted to get as far away from people as she could, so she would never be able to harm them again. This blood thirst she suffers. It makes her lose control. Her will, strong though it may be, was still not strong enough to tame it. She had a rough idea of where she could go. It might take her a little while to get there and if she kept going west at the high rate of speed she was, she could probably avoid the sun completely on her way there as she moved against the earth's rotation.

Where will she go? Where can she go? Surely the world is filled with people. Also, is she prepared to exile herself for all eternity to prevent the shedding of any more innocent blood? To never see her beloved again, that would be her definition of hell. But she is more than willing to suffer that hell if it means his safety. This is where her soul is torn. She aches for him and wants to be with him, but that same love for him drives her farther away, for his sake. The result: Never-ending sorrow.


	4. A White Wolf Hiding in the Snow

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the reviews so far and please keep them coming. So here's the next chapter. I put a lot of research into this chapter and I think it really made a big difference. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu.

**Thirst**

Chapter IV:

A White Wolf Hiding in the Snow

In the skies, high above the Bihor Mountains of Romania, flies a cargo carrier of the Romanian Air-Force. On a routine supply run, it is transporting supplies from Galati in the eastern region of the country to their military base in Timisoara located in the west. A bright moon graced the heavens, illuminating the hazy clouds below in a pale blue glow.

It has been a very quiet one hour flight so far. Most of the men were back in the cargo hold, playing cards and placing bets. Meanwhile, the two pilots were up front minding the controls while their Lieutenant sat behind them with his arms folded and giving a yawn of boredom.

Suddenly a beep came from one of the monitors. The pilot on the left acknowledged the alarm and brought up the screen for the radar.

"Lieutenant, Sir." The pilot said, turning to his commander behind him.

"What is it, Airman?" The lieutenant said, getting up and walking over to his station.

"Sir, I have got a blip on the radar. The bogey is at 2,500 meters and closing, coming from the east."

"Have any idea what it is?"

"Sir, no Sir. But whatever it is, it is moving fast." The pilot said, pointing to the blip as it steadily moved towards the center of the radar screen.

The Lieutenant gave a nervous rub to his chin and said,

"What is its current trajectory?"

The pilot punched a couple keys on the keyboard and brought up some data.

"Sir, it appears to be heading straight west at…" The pilot then winced at the information. "…at 950 km per hour. At its current trajectory, it should pass within 25 meters of us on our Port side"

"Could it be a spy jet?" The lieutenant asked, leaning in to get a closer look at the monitor.

"No Sir. It is too small to be any craft."

The lieutenant walked over to the radio station, turned back to the pilot and said,

"What is the current distance of the object?"

"Sir, 1,500 meters and closing."

The Lieutenant picked up the radio and keyed the mic.

"This is R199 calling Watchtower. Come in, Watchtower."

The radio squelched back,

"This is Watchtower. Go ahead, R199."

"Watchtower, we have an unknown bogey closing in on our position at 1,500 meters. Can you confirm? Over."

A few seconds went by and Watchtower came back over the waves.

"That is an affirmative, R199. We have the object, designated Bogey 1, on our screen 1,100 meters from your position. Over."

The left pilot then yelled out,

"Sir! Bogey 1 velocity increasing! Distance 700 meters! 550! 300!"

The Lieutenant ran over to the Port side window and looked out. A black blur shot right by the left wing, followed by the loud rumble of a sonic boom that shook the plane to its very rivets. After trying to maintain stability through the strong turbulence caused by whatever had just passed them, the pilots brought the plane back under control.

"What in the hell was that?!" The Lieutenant yelled. He then ran over to the left pilot and said, "Airman, run back the flight video from the front nose camera."

"Sir!"

He ran back the video as ordered and played it back in slow motion.

After a few seconds the Lieutenant said, "There! Freeze frame!", pointing at the screen.

The pilot paused the video. The image on the screen showed the black blur in the upper left corner.

"Now, zoom in and enhance."

The pilot zoomed in, isolating the image and enhancing it. As the image slowly became clearer and clearer, the pilot said,

"Sir, it almost looks like…a girl."

The computer's image enhancement had completed. On the screen was a crystal clear image of a young Japanese woman with her head turned looking back at the camera. She had long black hair and wore what appeared to be black armor. Her arms were straight and close to her body as her legs were extended together behind her, giving her the appearance of a sleek black missile.

Speechless, both of the pilots looked at each other, and then looked up at their commander. The Lieutenant stood up straight and gazed at the horizon for a moment where the bogey had disappeared from his sight. He glanced at his watch and then looked back down at his pilots who were eagerly awaiting his orders.

"As of this moment," the Lieutenant started, breaking the uneasy silence. "this entire event has become classified. All images, data and communications obtained during the event have been dubbed 'Top Secret'. Is that clear?"

"Sir! Yes Sir!" The pilots said in unison, then turning back to their stations.

The room was dark. The small clock on the night table struck 6:30am. The bed next to it was empty. The sheets appeared to have been slept in and were tossed to the side. Over in front of the window, we see Keitaro, staring out over the city with his arms folded. The bright lights of Tokyo Tower could be seen shining in the distance. The sun will be up soon. The eastern horizon had already gained a faint glow.

Keitaro slowly raised his hand in front of his face and looked at it. He closed it, formed a fist and then opened it. Letting it fall back to his side, he thought,

'No more…there will be no more tears. Motoko has protected me and fought for me time and again. Now it is she that needs help, she that needs protection. And it's up to me. It's time to man up. Time to become more than what I am…for you, Motoko. You deserve a husband who is strong enough to protect you, to fight for you.' A stern look of determination came over him as he curled his arm and closed his fist in front of him. 'I will save you, Motoko, I swear it!'

A knock then came from outside the room. Grabbing his clothes and tossing them on, he walked out of the bedroom, through the living room and to the door. He slowly turned the handle and opened it. Standing in the doorway was Mei in her black body suit and battle gear. She took a moment to look him over. She then said,

"You look different."

"What do you mean?" He said plainly.

"You look like you're ready to fight a war. That's good." She then stood to the side and said, "Right this way. We have much to brief you on."

They took the elevator up to the 49th floor. The doors opened and Keitaro was led down a short white corridor. Mei stopped and opened the door to his left. She picked up a black case that had been sitting next to the door and handed it to him.

"Take this, go inside and put it on." She said, as Keitaro took the case.

"What is it?"

"The battle suit you'll be using. It should be your exact size. When you're done, meet me in the large room at the end of the hall. That's the room where I'll explain the equipment you'll be using."

"Got it." He said before promptly stepping inside the room.

Three minutes later, Keitaro walked into the next room in full gear. It was skin tight, but not uncomfortable by any means. It showed off his musculature as it hugged his body. Utility belts were strapped around his waist and legs. Mei took a moment to look him over to make sure everything was in good order.

With an impressed nod, she said,

"You've taken good care of your body. That's good, because you'll need every bit of strength for this mission."

Keitaro moved his arms and legs around.

"It's strange, it feels lighter wearing it than when I was putting it on" He said, looking at the suit.

"Those are the micro-machines built into the joints." She said, holding up one of his arms. "They increase your strength by three times." She then ran a hand down the middle of his back. "Also, though you may not feel it, the suit has a rigid frame that moves naturally with your own body. It is especially reinforced along the spine. This frame is meant to prevent injury from falls, physical trauma and so forth." She ran her hand along his arm. "It has an advanced body temperature regulation system that will keep you warm in the snow and cool in the desert." She then gave a knock on his chest. "Also built into the suit is highly advanced body armor. It's light, bullet proof and meant to stop anything up to a 50 caliber round. It is knife proof, shock proof and even water proof." She then lifted his left wrist and raised the black cover to reveal a small set of buttons. She pushed the blue button and said, "This button here activates the Auto-Camouflage. Why don't you stand up against that wall there?" She then pointed to the white paneled wall behind him.

He did as she said. As soon as the suit touched the wall, it changed. It perfectly mimicked the color and texture. Even the tile design was duplicated.

"This is incredible." He said, looking at the suit in amazement.

"That suit you're wearing is the most advanced battle equipment on the planet. And it has a price tag that would make your head spin. So _please_ bring it back in one piece."

He looked at her and with a sincere nod, said,

"Right."

They then walked over to a metal table in the corner of the room. On it were several different types of weapons. Waving her hand over them, she said,

"These will be the weapons you'll be using." She began at one end of the table and slowly moved down the line describing each one. "Titanium blade Katana, laser sharpened to an edge the width of 9 microns. Titanium talon gauntlets with forearm guards, ideal for wall climbing and hand to hand combat as well as blade countering techniques. In the left forearm guard is a mini-computer equipped with GPS, health status monitor and 24 hour digital clock. It also allows you to communicate with me via satellite in real time no matter where you are on the planet. In the wrist of the right gauntlet is a deployable grapple hook and 200 meters of ultra thin 500lb test wire. The hook is fired at high velocity. The hook release, which is the red button below the wrist, detaches the wire. Hold down the yellow button next to it to retract the wire. After the wire is completely retracted it will automatically attach to another hook cartridge. The Five Seven handgun, fires 5.7x28mm rounds that have high penetrating and stopping power with low recoil. It comes with two magazines that hold 20 rounds each. The Vz. 83 submachine gun, uses 9x18mm rounds. The two magazines hold 20 rounds each. The M14EBR sniper rifle fires 7.62x51mm rounds, maintains high stopping power, even at long range. The two magazines hold 20 rounds each."

She then took a few minutes to go over how to use and reload the guns. When her explanation was finished, she said, "Any questions?"

Keitaro paused a moment as he looked at the guns. He stepped up and lightly ran his finger along the barrel of the sniper rifle.

"These guns…are meant to kill." He said uneasily, taking a step back.

"Yes, they are." She said, giving him a curious look.

"I can't kill. I will not kill." He said, shaking his head.

Mei walked right up to him, grabbed him by the front collar of his suit and said,

"Listen up and listen good, Keitaro. Those men you're going up against? They are not nice people, they are trained Special Forces and deadly mercenaries. If they see you, they will kill you without mercy or a second's hesitation. It is kill or be killed, Keitaro, and if you want to survive you had better learn to pull the trigger!"

Keitaro turned his head away for a moment as if conflicted. He then looked back at her and gave a silent nod.

She let him go and said,

"Good. Now get with the program. You said you wanted my help. You got it. You said you would do anything to save Motoko. Well this comes with the job description."

Hearing her words ring true, Keitaro stood tall and regained his game face.

"You're right. Sorry. Let's move on." He said.

Mei then handed him a compact injector gun. Keitaro took the gun and looked at it.

"In that syringe is a serum that increases strength and speed, tenfold. It was derived from our research on Tataku. Use it only if you have to. Take it from me, the after-effects are not pleasant."

"Got ya." He said, slipping it into the utility belt on his waist.

Mei then took the time to go over the contents of his utility belts, describing how to use the medical supplies as well as all the high tech goodies. When she was finished with that, she brought out a small plastic container.

"Here, these are contact lenses. They should be your prescription. Put them in. The mask you'll be wearing won't allow you to wear glasses."

Keitaro removed his glasses, handed them to Mei and carefully put in the contacts.

"I'll just hold on to these for you." She said, slipping the glasses into her utility belt. "Now, these contacts have a few special features that can be controlled through the menu on your wrist computer. They have three sight modes: Normal, Night-vision and Infrared."

Mei then walked over to the metal table, opened the drawer there and took out a black head mask.

"This will be the mask you'll be using." She said, handing it to him. "It links to the suit, giving it auto-camouflage and temp regulation, but also comes with two way com-link and a radio transmission interceptor so you can listen in on what the enemy is saying."

Mei rubbed her hands together and took a deep breath.

"Well, that should cover all of your equipment. Let's move on to the mission briefing, shall we?" She said, motioning him to follow her through the door behind her.

In the next room was a large digital screen on the wall showing a highly detailed satellite photo of Asia. To the side of it was a podium with a built in keyboard. As Mei walked up to the podium, she motioned to the chair behind Keitaro and said,

"If you'll have a seat, we'll get started."

Keitaro sat down and Mei began the briefing.

Mei hit a couple keys on the keyboard and the image on the screen zoomed in to show China. She then took out an extendable metal pointer and touched it to a city in eastern China.

"According to Chinese Intelligence, at 11pm eastern China time, 2am our time, a mysterious small black object was spotted here, heading westward over the streets of Sian. The local authorities could not identify the object on account of it moving so fast." The satellite image then moved to the middle-east. "At 9:30pm in Afghanistan, 2:30am our time, a similar object was seen in the skies here over Kabul, heading west." The image then moved over to Eastern Europe. "According to our sources inside the Romanian Air force, at 7pm Eastern Europe time, 3:30am our time, a Romanian cargo plane was passed by another similar object, here over the Bihor Mountain range. It was confirmed to be travelling at about 950 km per hour. Then it suddenly sped up, going faster than the speed of sound. The object, which they designated as Bogey 1, was also heading west. We were able to obtain this image from the carrier's flight camera."

As the image popped up on the screen, Keitaro's eyes widened.

"That's Motoko!" He said, standing up and looking closer at the image. "She's…flying?!"

"Yes. It would appear that she has mastered her ability of flight. Evidently she has far surpassed the flying skills of Tataku herself." Mei said, collapsing the metal pointer and setting it aside.

Keitaro slowly sat down.

"She's moving so fast. How can we find her when she could just fly off and go anywhere?" He said.

"Let me worry about that. Right now, you concentrate on your mission."

Mei hit a few keys and brought up an image of Hokkaido. She zoomed into the center of the island, showing several mountain ranges. The mountains as well as the valleys between them were white, denoting the entire region was covered in snow.

"According to our infrared satellite photos, we believe the White Wolves base of operations to be here, 40 kilometers east of Furano. It is an isolated region, surrounded by mountains so the best choice of travel would be by helicopter. Above ground is a small unassuming hut, but below ground is a military complex about one square kilometer in size." The screen switched to a hollow simulated image of the complex. "Sonar imaging has helped us to produce a 3 dimensional layout of the complex which has already been downloaded to your wrist computer."

Mei then switched back to the satellite image and zoomed into the hut.

"The hut itself, which conceals the main entrance, is surrounded by eight unmanned, motion activated M134 Gatling guns. They can only be deactivated by a coded radio signal which we don't have. Therefore, going in through the main entrance is not an option. However, there are four ventilation shafts that come up to the surface from the complex. The one in the south west corner is closest to what we believe is the laboratory, so that shaft will be your best bet."

She zoomed out the image to encompass the surrounding area.

"You'll be dropped off here, 200 meters south of the vent shaft. Once inside, follow the 3D map on your wrist computer. Use as much stealth as possible and waste no time. In and out. Then we can go find Motoko. Any questions?"

Keitaro stood at attention and said,

"No, Ma'am."

This caused Mei to give a brief chuckle.

"Relax, Keitaro. I'm your friend, not your superior officer."

"Hehe, right. Sorry."

"Alright. Collect your weapons and equipment and let's get you to Hokkaido. My Black Hawk helicopter should be waiting on the roof."

A few minutes later, Keitaro and Mei were in the elevator heading up to the roof. Instead of thinking about the mission, Keitaro was still contemplating Motoko's whereabouts. Then, the memory of his dream flashed back to him. Suddenly realizing something, he said,

"I think I know where she's going."

Knowing exactly what he was talking about, she said,

"Where?"

"England."

"England? How do you know?"

"I…I don't know how I know, I just…know."

Mei ran her finger over her chin for a moment and said,

"It does make sense. Her path seemed to go straight west, between the 30th and 40th parallels. She might have veered north over the English Channel and into the United Kingdom. There have been no new reports of strange activity in that region and I don't think she would be able to make the jump over the Atlantic without being caught by the sun. England, huh? We'll concentrate our search there. It may be just your hunch, Keitaro, but I'm getting a good feeling about it."

The elevator doors opened and they both ran out towards the helipad where the Black Hawk helicopter's blades were already rotating, sending a strong blowing wind as they both ran up the steps. A ninja, having completed his job, stepped out of the cockpit, gave Mei an obedient bow and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Keitaro opened the side sliding door and hopped inside.

Seeing Mei follow in behind him, he said,

"You're coming with me?"

"Of course. I'll be the one flying you in. So buckle up, sit back, relax and leave the driving to me." She said, moving into the cockpit.

Keitaro secured the sliding door. He then fastened his seatbelt as Mei sat down in the pilot seat and fastened herself in. Mei put on her helmet and slid down her visor, protecting her eyes from the bright sun shining in the eastern sky. She increased the rotary throttle and the helicopter lifted up into the air. Flipping several switches, she started up the twin Turbo-Shaft Engines. She then eased forward on the lever to her right and off they went, jetting towards the northern horizon.

In England, just 5km north of Clitheroe, lay a long stretch of forest. In front of this vast forest, stands a lone warrior amidst the wide snowy fields. Using her senses, she confirmed that not a single human was around for miles. She looked up to the starry sky as her black silky hair danced in the constant wind. She then looked to the east. It won't be light for a few hours yet, so she was safe for now. Her eyes turned to the dark winter forest before her.

Self-exile: She believes this is all that is left for her and nothing else. She accepts this isolation as she knows she cannot trust herself around others, around humans. But ultimately, the whole thing seemed self defeating. How can you stop something that cannot be stopped? Especially, when that something is yourself? In all truth, she is afraid, terrified. When will be the next time that she loses control? When will the thirst hit her again? What will she do then? All she can do for now is stay in this remote area until she learns to control this terrible affliction. If of course, it can be controlled.

She clenched her fist as she gritted her teeth, fangs peaking out. It has to be controlled, she thought. She can't just allow herself to become some bloodthirsty ravenous beast. She will not. In the past she has faced horrid demons, vengeful possessing revenants, and even a 50 meter tall mechanical turtle. This problem should fade in comparison to the above mentioned.

She walked through the fields and made it to the tree line. As she stepped forward into the forest, she ran her hands along the rough bark of the trees. She looked up and from her view saw the bare, leafless branches extending out across the sky like gaunt creeping fingers. It almost seemed as if this forest would soon come to possess her. Or she would come to possess it.

When she felt she was far enough into the forest, Motoko stopped at the foot of a tall stately tree. She sat down and rested her back against the trunk. She felt the cold wind blow against her as it moved through the forest, causing the trees around her to creek and wane. Motoko slowly lowered her head as she began to think. The faces of her family and loved ones passed through her mind. The memories of such happy times that seemed so sweet, but at the same time she felt a sting in her heart, a pain of loss. Her thoughts slowly started to become depressed and hopeless. She then formed a tragic smile.

'Heh, _There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in times of misery_. Isn't that what they say?' Her painful frown then returned. 'Eternity. Eternity of a life I don't want. A life I never wanted. An eternity of hell, that's what it is!' Tears began to form in her eyes as she laid her head in her hands. 'Oh, Keitaro. I miss you so much.'

At that moment, Keitaro, who was sitting in the cockpit, looked to the west, as if stirred by something he could not explain.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Mei asked, noticing the faraway look in his eyes.

"I…I'm not sure. For a moment there, I thought I felt her."

"We'll find her, Keitaro. Don't worry. But we have to find that cure first." She said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"Right. Understood. How long before we arrive at the drop point?"

"It should be another hour and fifteen minutes."

Keitaro decided to take this time to become more familiar with the wrist computer on his gauntlet so he can be as efficient as possible for the mission. At the same time he was becoming more comfortable with the feeling of the gauntlets themselves. Compensating for the metal claws that covered his fingers was not as difficult as he thought it would be. They felt light, almost as if he wasn't wearing them at all. It was most likely due to the strength enhancement of the suit, he thought.

Aside from his lingering worries of Motoko, he also had some passing thoughts of the rest of the girls back home and how they were doing. How were they dealing with this whole thing? How were they dealing with the fact that yet again, two members of their close family are suffering in a horrible situation. Regardless, if he does get through this and he is able to bring Motoko back with him, it's going to be one hell of a story to tell. No doubt it will be a story that can be added to the many others that can already fill volumes.

Meanwhile, back at the Hinata apartments, Kaolla silently lays atop a large branch of the tree in her room. On her stomach and her body stretched along the length of the branch like a cat, she rests her chin on her folded arms as she peers into the small pond below. She let out a depressed sigh as she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling lights. Her expression turned to worry as her thoughts led her back again to what she's tried desperately not to think about.

'I hope very much Motoko-yan is able to be cured. When Naru-yan told me what had happened, I felt so much hurt in my chest. And when she said Motoko-yan had left Keitaro, it hurt even more. Keitaro must be feeling hurt in his chest too, because I know he is worried about Motoko-yan like I am worried. I miss them very, very much. I miss playing with them and I miss hugging them too. I just want them to be home safe soon so I can welcome them both with a big hug.'

One floor down and on the other end of the building, Kitsune stood in her room, staring at her many shelves of different brands of sake. Several she had bought locally, others she had purchased during her travels. Her eyes then glanced to the one single bottle of sake that she had received as a gift. It was bottled in Kyoto and was given to her by two people who are very dear to her.

After much self deliberation, she reached over and grabbed one of the local brands. She quickly twisted off the cap and then paused for a moment.

'I know I shouldn't be doin' this. I almost never do this, drinkin' before noon. But I just can't take this anymore. It's too much for me. I just need something to help me cope, is all. Just one drink is all I need. Just one. Then I'll put it away.'

She grabbed a glass from the table next to the shelves, filled it up and slammed it down. She stood there for a moment, glass in one hand, bottle in the other as she experienced the warm feeling of the alcohol as it settled in her stomach. She slowly looked over at the bottle. The clear liquid inside rippled with the trembling of her hand. She hesitated for a few seconds and then eagerly filled the glass again.

'J-Just one more. That's all I need. Then I'll stop.'

After drinking that glass down, she walked up to the shelf to put the bottle back. But before she could, she looked back at the bottle again as her hand began to tremble once more.

All the way down the hall at the other end of the building was Shinobu. She sat quietly at her desk, staring at a portrait she had sketched of Keitaro long ago. In the sketch, he was sitting on a bench. Holding a pencil and sketchpad, Keitaro was nonchalantly looking back at her, trying not to be noticed. She remembered that day very well. It was the first time she had ever seen Keitaro. Back then, she didn't really know what to make of him. But soon after, she saw how truly kind he was. That is one of the reasons why this sketch will always be most precious to her.

Shinobu carefully set that sketch aside and looked at the one beneath it. It was the sketch Keitaro had drawn of her. It showed her smiling. Keitaro always told her that she would have a wonderful smile if she only tried. She remembered the pleasant look he gave her when she proved him right. She took a deep breath, folded her arms on the desk and rested her head.

'Oh, Keitaro-sempai. I miss you so much. You and Motoko. When you two are together, it just seems to lighten the air in this place. It's like you two have gained this beautiful happiness that I can only dream of. I…I wish I had that kind of happiness…with Keitaro.' She then shook her head. 'No, I can't think like that. I'm happy for them both and I love them both so much. I just want them to come home safely, more than anything else.' Tears began to form in her eyes. 'More than anything else, I just want them to come home.'

Naru sat on the floor in her room, by the heater. She was hugging her knees as she watched the world outside the window. A half finished college paper lay untouched for who knows how long on top of the Kotatsu table behind her. She let out a worried sigh as she continued to look on to the horizon. She then looked down and opened her hand. In it was a print shop photo, showing her and Keitaro smiling together in the photo booth. She then clutched it and held it close to her heart.

Naru had just gotten off the phone with the Aoyama Estate a little while ago. There was still no new word on Keitaro or Motoko. Motoko is still MIA and last they heard, Keitaro was at the Tachibana building seeking help from Mei. So here she was, yet again. Waiting, hoping and praying. It was eating at her. The more she sat there the more she couldn't take it anymore. She had to get up and do something, anything.

Naru got up, returned the photo to her desk drawer and left the room. A few moments later, she was at the front door, putting on her coat and shoes. She then walked outside and made her way down the long stone steps. As she reached the bottom, she was stopped by the sound of a voice behind her.

"Naru?"

She turned around.

"Haruka. Hello. I didn't see you standing there."

Haruka, holding a lit cigarette in her mouth, said,

"So where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Well…it's just that I can't stand this waiting. Keitaro and Motoko are out there suffering and the most painful part about it is there's nothing I can do to help them. I-I just had to get out and do something. I…I don't know. I don't know what to do anymore."

Haruka walked up and laid a hand on Naru's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Naru."

"Don't worry? How can I not worry, Haruka? They-"

"Just have faith in them. You'll see. Everything will be just fine. Just you wait and see."

"I'm not sure if there will be a happy ending this time, Haruka. It all seems so hopeless. Like nothing can possibly go back to the way it was."

"Just believe in them, Naru. Have faith that they can work through this. That is all that _we_ can do now. Okay?"

Naru let her head fall for a moment as she lightly bit her lip. She then gave Haruka a nod 'yes'."

"Now come on. It's cold out here and you look like you could use some hot tea." Haruka said, as she slowly lead her into the tea house, while showing a reassuring smile.

At that time, 900km north, a Black Hawk helicopter flies low over the snowy valleys of central Hokkaido. The Skies were overcast as a light continuous snow flew through the air. As the helicopter slowed down and lowered altitude, the pilot pointed at a low spot in the valley, surrounded by trees.

"That's the drop point down there. From there, follow your GPS and it should lead you straight to the air vent. I'll be in the next valley over, standing by. Once you've retrieved the cure, open your comm. link and I'll pick you up. Or if you've run into any problems I'll come help you out."

"Right." Keitaro said, readying his gear as he made his way to the sliding door.

When Mei brought the helicopter low enough to the ground, Keitaro opened the door and hopped out. Landing solidly on his feet, he then looked up and gave Mei they 'okay' sign to which she gave a nod. She then pressed a button that automatically closed the side door and took off towards the next valley.

Watching her disappear over the tree line he then looked north towards his destination. He folded his fingers, making sure the gauntlets were nice and tight. He then smiled and said, "Let's go, Keitaro." He pressed the button under his gauntlet, activating his auto-camou. His entire suit changed to an icy white, perfectly matching his surroundings. He then dashed onward through the snow.

Following his GPS, he made his way to the south west vent in a matter of minutes. The large metal vent was six feet in diameter and very deep. A large cloud of steam flowed upward from the vent as the heated air collided with the icy wind. Keitaro knelt down beside the vent, reached into the utility belt on his thigh and pulled out a compact acetylene torch. He then pulled out a small visor to protect his eyes. Lighting the torch, he then cut out a section large enough for him to fit through.

After putting away the torch and visor, he deployed a grapple hook from his gauntlet to the edge of the vent and lowered himself down to the bottom. He disconnected the hook, retracted the wire and quickly moved into the ventilation network. Carefully following the map on his wrist computer, he made his way easily to the vent opening a short distance away from the laboratory.

Keitaro slowly and quietly removed the vent and set it next to him. He then peeked his head out to make sure the coast was clear. He saw a long gray corridor that stretched out in both directions. No guards, no people. Not a single soul. He then raised himself up on his hands, ducked down through the vent and with a somersault, landed silently on his feet. All that training with Motoko not only improved his fighting skills, but his acrobatics as well. He then swiftly and lightly sprinted down the hall until he reached a sign that said 'Research Lab'.

The lab door was a metal sliding door with no handles. He looked over and saw that it was key card entry only.

'Not a problem.' He thought, crouching down in front of the card slot.

He pulled out a white magnetic card with a long wire attached to it that he plugged into this wrist computer. After sliding the card into the slot, numbers started to flow through his wrist screen. A few moments went by. The numbers suddenly stopped and a message scrolled across the screen saying 'access granted'. Simultaneously, the green light lit up above the slot and the metal door slid open. Looking left and right down the hall, he then grabbed the card, put it away and went into the lab.

The inside was similar to what he had seen at the Tachibana labs, but not quite the same. The equipment in this lab wasn't nearly as advanced or sophisticated. But then again, few organizations can match the financial backing of the Tachibana. He went to the refrigeration units at the far end of the lab. Looking through the glass, he saw eight vials inside and on every single one of them was stamped 'Tachibana Bio-research'.

'Found them.' He thought, opening the refrigeration unit.

He took all eight vials and put them in the pockets along the left side of his waist utility belt. When he was done, he closed the fridge and quickly moved towards the exit. But as he did this, the door in front of him beeped as someone was about to enter.

Keitaro acted quickly and dashed for a darkened corner. The Auto-Camou doing its work, he disappeared to the naked eye. A female scientist in a white lab coat entered the room, carrying a file folder with her as her heels clacked loudly on the floor tiles. She placed the folder on the table in the middle of the room. Then she opened a drawer and pulled out another file. Seemingly taking her time, she looked over the pages of the file, adjusting her glasses every now and then.

Keitaro slowly moved his right foot to shift his weight so he could be more comfortable, since he assumed that he might be here for a while. He couldn't risk rushing out of the room and alerting the scientist. She would most likely sound an alarm and make his mission far more difficult. As he shifted his weight, his boot made a squeaking noise on the waxed tile.

The scientist immediately looked over in Keitaro's direction. Keitaro was now still as a statue and just as quiet.

"Hello? Is someone there?" she called out.

Not receiving an answer, she narrowed her eyes and started walking toward the corner in which he stood. She stopped right in front of him and squinted her eyes in the dark. Unable to see him, her gaze passed him by many times. She then put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

"Must have been my imagination." She said, before turning around and walking back to the table.

In his mind, Keitaro let out a sigh of relief. After a few more minutes, she gathered her files, put them under her arm and left the room. Keitaro waited a moment before moving. He slowly stepped over to the door. It opened and he looked out. Everything was clear. He could hear the fading click-clack of the scientist's shoes going down the adjoining corridor to the right. Taking a left, he started back towards the ceiling vent.

The vent now within sight above him, he was about to ready his grapple hook to get back up when a loud voice called out behind him.

"Hey you! Stop!!"

'Damn, I knew it couldn't be this easy.' Keitaro thought, turning around.

There was a single guard in white Kevlar armor, readying his weapon which was an M4 assault rifle. Before he could get a chance to fire, Keitaro dashed at him without hesitation. 'I won't let you stand in my way!' he thought. Keitaro giving a quick leap and a hard karate kick to his chest, the guard flew back and was knocked to the floor hard. The rifle he was holding left his hands and was now sliding down the hallway. With a grunt, the guard recovered quickly and snapped back to his feet. He shook his head and then took a basic self defense stance, challenging Keitaro with a beckoning wave of his hand. Keitaro accepted, forming the advanced stance of the Shin-Kami style he had learned so well from Motoko.

The guard began with a fast right fist to which Keitaro parried and took advantage of the opening he left by giving him a swift side-kick to the ribs. This angered the guard, making him throw several more punches at Keitaro to which he dodged them all with little effort. Finding another opening, Keitaro moved in close, avoiding the guard's final punch. He then gave him a hard uppercut, effectively laying the guard out.

The guard appeared to be out cold.

"Heh," Keitaro said, looking down at him. "Is that the best you've got?"

He then turned away and was about to grapple his way up to the vent when he heard laughing coming from behind him. He turned around. It was the guard. He slowly sat up as he continued to laugh, louder and louder. Keitaro took his ready stance once more as the guard stood to his feet. Then the guard's laughs started to sound strange, warped, inhuman.

His eyes looked at Keitaro. They were black. The teeth he smiled at Keitaro with grew sharp and long. He then sprouted fur like an animal as his body grew bigger and bigger. The armor he wore began to rip and tear away. Gray fur covered his body and black claws extended from his fingers. His nose extended out to form a muzzle like a dog. His ears grew long and pointed straight up. He then raised his head up and let out a loud howling call.

Keitaro's wide eyes looked on at this immense towering beast standing before him. Its eyes were fixed on Keitaro as slimy drool came dripping down from its teeth.

Keitaro just shook his head in disbelief and said,

"Oh, you've got to be XXXXing kidding me!"


	5. What once was lost has now been found

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. The final chapter of Thirst. This has got to be the longest chapter I've ever written. But you know what? It was worth it, because I've never enjoyed writing more than when I wrote this story. I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Disclaimer: Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu.

**Thirst**

Chapter V:

What Once Was Lost,

Has Now Been Found

The wolf's call echoed throughout the corridors of the underground complex. It was loud, long and powerful. Once the howl had finally faded, it was soon followed by several more from seemingly every distant direction as if to say they would be there shortly. The towering beast raised itself up on its hind-legs as it stared down at Keitaro with what appeared to be a satisfied canine smile.

Keitaro was at the point where his brain was still trying to understand what his eyes were seeing. Because of this, his body was frozen in place. The beast let out a menacing growl, and as the horrid breath hit Keitaro's face, the wheels in his brain kicked back into gear.

"This isn't a movie! I'm willing to accept vampires, sure. But Werewolves??" He said to himself, his eyes growing ever wider as he looked up at the creature.

Keitaro shook his head, lowered his brow and narrowed his eyes as he renewed his vigor.

'No, I can't let this stand in my way. For Motoko! For her I'll do anything!' he thought, drawing his Titanium Katana sword.

"For her I'll slay this monster!!" he yelled out loud as he lunged at the beast.

His teeth were clenched, fingers wrapped tightly around the sword's custom grip hilt. The creature cocked its head to the side as if it weren't expecting a full frontal attack. Keitaro raised his sword, ready for the kill, aiming straight for its heart.

Despite its size, the beast moved faster than Keitaro had anticipated. With a swing of its massive arm, Keitaro was knocked against the wall to the side of him, leaving several cracked imprints behind as he fell to the floor like a rag doll. Keitaro rolled himself onto his hands as he tried to shake the dizziness from his head. His vision was blurred. All he could see was a big gray furry mass coming right for him. He reached out and grabbed the sword next to him that had fallen from his hands and managed to roll out of the way of the huge foot that would have come down on him and crushed him.

Keitaro stumbled back to create some distance as his vision finally cleared. What he saw was the beast slowly getting closer, rearing its teeth, drool dripping to the floor. Keitaro stood very still. He let the creature get closer and closer. As it drew within just a few feet, Keitaro dropped his sword as if in surrender, lowered his head and fell to his knees. As he looked up at the beast as it leaned down over him, he could almost hear a satisfied laugh in the creature's bellowing growls.

"Come on…come on, you son of a bitch." Keitaro said, weakly.

The creature curled its clawed fingers and raised its furry hand high, ready to deliver the death stroke. The claws then fell, heading straight for Keitaro's neck. But as this happened, Keitaro suddenly shot up, pulled out a Bowie knife with a 12 inch blade from behind him and thrust it hard into the creature's chest with a deep battle-cry. The beast let out a pain filled howl. Thrust after thrust, the howls were loud and reverberated with agony. Keitaro then twisted the knife, moved back and ripped it from the beast's chest, throwing a stream of blood onto the wall next to him from the blade.

The creature's howls had ceased. Lifeless, it fell forward and landed hard on its face with a thud. Keitaro flecked away the remaining blood from the blade with a swiping motion and slid it back into its sheath on his lower back. He took in a deep breath and let it out as he looked down at the monster's still form. The beast then shrunk down and returned to the form of a man.

"I guess anything will die if you stab it through the heart, huh?" Keitaro said, catching his breath. Then the full weight of what he had done hit him as he lowered down on one knee next to the body. "I really am sorry, friend. But it was you or me and I have to live to bring this cure to the woman I love." He said somberly as he looked down at the corpse.

Keitaro then heard several loud stomping noises coming closer from one of the adjoining halls. The sounds were like the trampling heavy impacts of animal paws. He looked up and saw the hallway before him filling with more of the creatures.

"Oh, this can't be good." Keitaro said as he watched them line up.

Once they caught sight of the corpse at Keitaro's feet, they all became infuriated and immediately let out a collective roar as if it were a declaration of war. It rang loudly in Keitaro's ears as it sent shivers down his spine. Seeing each of the beasts lower down into the pouncing position, Keitaro carefully and slowly reached his hand down, picked up his sword and slid it back into the sheath that ran down the center of his back.

'I had enough problems with just one. I can't beat ten of them at the same time. Not with anything short of a rocket launcher. There's only one thing I can do at this point.'

Keitaro then turned around and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could.

'If I can get to a place with more open ground, maybe I can figure something out.'

Naru returned to the apartments feeling a little better than she did before. She slowly made her way up the staircase to the second floor, figuring a nice quiet talk with her good friend might benefit the both of them. Arriving at Kitsune's door, Naru gave a few quick knocks.

"Hey, Kitsune?"

She heard no reply.

"Kitsune? Are you there?"

Still nothing.

'That's strange. I didn't see her in the lobby, and I don't remember her saying she was going anywhere, so she has to be in her room.'

Naru slid open the door.

"Please excuse me." She said respectfully as she entered the room.

There was no sign of Kitsune by her desk or her Kotatsu. Walking in farther, Naru then looked over by the shelves and let out a gasp as she saw Kitsune laying there on the floor, passed out with an empty sake bottle in her hand.

"Kitsune!" Naru yelled, rushing over to her.

Naru held her up and started shaking her.

"Kitsune. Kitsune, wake up!"

Kitsune knotted her eyebrows as her face contorted in irritation from all the noise. Then she said in a slurred speech,

"Wha…whozzat? Nah-roo? Leave mah alone. Goh-way!"

Naru turned her nose away as she caught the smell of Kitsune's breath which stunk of booze.

"Kitsune. I can't believe you're already passed out on the floor and it's not even noon yet. You're turning into a full-fledged alcoholic. You need help."

Kitsune then flailed her arms about angrily and said,

"I don't need no help! Ahm jus fine!" She then freed herself from Naru, tried to balance herself shakily on her knees and said,

"Why doncha jus git the hell outta here! Preachin' ta me like that! Who da a think ya are, anyway?" Kitsune then fell down on her side. As she laid there she began to break down into tears.

"Oh, Naru. Ahm so sorry. I don't wanna be this way no more. It's just the whole thing wit Motoko an Keitaro. Ah couldn't take it no more. I had a drink, then another, then another. Before I knew it ah blacked out."

As Naru reached over and held her, Kitsune began to cry even harder in her arms.

"It's alright, Kitsune. We'll get you some help. Don't worry. Everything is going to be just fine."

The sounds of loud footsteps could be heard echoing down the corridor. Keitaro, running as fast as he can, was trying to keep a fair distance from the ten wolf-like beasts which were bounding up the corridor behind him. He then raised his finger to his ear and yelled,

"White Knight to Black Queen! Mei, come in!!"

The comm. link beeped in his earpiece as Mei's voice came through.

"Go ahead, Keitaro. What's your status?"

"Werewolves. There are werewolves down here!"

"What? Say again, Keitaro. You're breaking up."

"Werewolves! They're everywhere and they're after me!!"

"Heh heh, well that would explain why they call themselves the White Wolves."

"This is no time for jokes, Mei!!"

"Sorry, sorry. Have you tried holding them back with suppressive fire from your SMG?"

"Something tells me guns aren't going to work against these big baddies."

"Well, since you don't have any silver, your best bet is to not let them corner you and deal with them one at a time. Run, fight, run again, fight again. Understand? Don't let them group up on you."

"Ah, now I get it. The faster ones will catch up with me the quickest while the slower ones will still be farther behind, giving me just enough time to deal with them one by one."

"Hit em fast, hit em hard, run even faster and then repeat. It's an old tactic but effective. Just hold tight, Keitaro. I'll be down there to help you out soon."

"Roger. White Knight out."

The vast forest was dark, calm and quiet, save for the constant creaking and waning of the trees. At the foot of one of these trees was Motoko with her head resting against its trunk as she blankly stared up at the sky, feeling sorry for herself. She then lowered her head as she heard a stray dead leaf tumble along by her feet. Her eyes watched the leaf as it continued along its undetermined path, slave to the fateful whims of the wind that moved it. Am I the same way, she thought. Was she a victim of a cruel yet indifferent fate?

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

The voice came from above her, and it was speaking in English. Motoko quickly looked up to see a young blonde haired girl, showing a sly smile as she looked down at her from a high tree branch. Motoko stood up to get a better look at her. The girl appeared no older than ten years of age. She had long wavy blond hair that looked almost radiant in the light of the full moon above her. She wore a black satin dress that was loosely covered by a long black cloak that gently rolled in the constant wind. Her long fingernails that were gently tapping on the bark of the tree branch were painted a deep red.

"Judging from your features, I'd say it's a safe bet you're not from around here." The girl said.

Motoko struggled to speak in English.

"Aimu sorri, Ai dontu supiiku werry guut Engurishu."

"Oh, well maybe you'd prefer if I spoke in Japanese." The girl said, now fluently speaking in Motoko's native language. The girl then narrowed her eyes as she formed a smile. "You're like me, aren't you? A vampire. I can always sense when another one of our kind is nearby."

Motoko looked away for a moment. She then looked back up at the girl and answered.

"…Yes. I am a vampire."

The words sounded vulgar to Motoko. Crude, as if she were soiling a part of her soul.

"Why so depressed? You should be happy." The girl inquired.

"No."

"Take joy in your gifts. Take joy in feeding."

"No."

"Revel in the sweet life found in drinking human blood. Feel the power that is drawn from it. Live forever with the lives of others pounding through your veins with nothing in this world standing in your way."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Motoko yelled, her powerful voice echoing off of the surrounding hills outside the forest.

The girl fell silent for a moment as she looked down at Motoko with a discontent frown.

"Well, aren't we melodramatic. What's got you all bottom side of the saddle?"

"You have no idea what this curse has taken from me!" Motoko shot back.

The girl then formed her sly smile once more as she said,

"Maybe not, but to me, this life I have now is far better and more enjoyable that the one I had before. I absolutely love going out each night and having a drink at someone else's expense. Heh heh."

"I'm…I'm not like that. I'm not like you. I don't take joy in feeding off of others."

"Oh, I beg to differ. I'm willing to bet you've fed already. The first thirst is always the strongest. The body acts on its own. You've felt it, haven't you? You sank your fangs into your victim and the feeling you received afterwards was a far greater pleasure than anything you've ever felt before."

Motoko didn't answer. It was true. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, it was absolutely true. She remembered everything: The speeding car, the young man inside and the look of terror on his face. She could still taste his blood.

"Oh, god! What have I done?" Motoko said, falling down on her knees and covering her face in emotional agony.

Seeing Motoko trembling on the ground, the girl's expression softened. She then let out a sigh and shook her head. She hopped off the branch and lightly landed in front of Motoko.

"Perhaps I have been a bit rude." The girl said, folding her arms and showing a smile.

Motoko leaned up and looked at her.

"Maybe we've gotten off on the wrong foot. Let us start over, shall we? My name is Evangeline A.K. McDowell."

Motoko regained her composure as she shifted and leaned back against the tree. Resting her head against the bark of the tree once more, Motoko looked up at the moon.

"Motoko…Motoko Aoyama."

"Ahh, Motoko. From the Kyoto Aoyamas, right?" Evangeline sat down next to Motoko and looked up at the moon with her. "That's quite a name in Japan, one that is rivaled only by the Tachibana."

Motoko then cracked a smile,

"Oh, you have no idea."

Back in Hokkaido, Keitaro tries his best to keep ahead of the pack. He looked back for a moment as he breathed heavily through his mask.

'Looks like the plan is working so far. This one is keeping up with me while the others are falling behind. Damn! This place is all corridors. No open areas at all. Well, no better time than the present. Let's do this!'

Keitaro stopped, turned around, and ran towards the werewolf that was right behind him. He then jumped to the wall to his right, pushed himself off with his foot and hit the beast in the head hard with a roundhouse kick, disorienting it. Once Keitaro planted his feet on the floor, he followed that move with a heavy back kick to the beast's midsection, knocking it on its back.

Wasting no time, Keitaro continued his run down the hall as the rest of the beasts jumped over the one laying on the floor. After a moment or so, Keitaro looked back to see another werewolf getting ahead of the rest. Once, the others were far enough behind,

'Here comes round two.'

Keitaro turned, ran toward the beast, then got down and slid between its legs, getting behind it. He drew his Katana and with a quick swipe, severed its Achilles tendons, causing the beast to fall like a stack of cards. As the beast howled on the floor, the remaining eight leapt over it as Keitaro continued his run. After a few moments, Keitaro looked back to see the eight were keeping up very well with the tenth catching behind and the ninth nowhere to be seen.

'Well, I guess that's one permanently down, but these nine, they're not letting up. No one's falling behind. Maybe it's because I'm slowing down.' He looked back again. 'Damn, they're already catching up.'

"Can't keep this up for long." Keitaro said, feeling the burning fire in the muscles of his legs.

As soon as he said that, one of the beasts leapt forward and tackled Keitaro to the floor. Another picked him up and slammed him against the wall. Another still, struck him across the face, tearing off his mask with its claws. Keitaro rolled along the floor until he came to a stop at the dead end of the hallway.

As the creatures got closer, Keitaro stood up on his two feet. The cut across his cheek slowly bled down his face. His muscles were flexed, his fists were clenched. He looked up at the beasts with a look of white hot fury. His anger fueled his adrenaline which flowed like a riptide.

"Alright!" Keitaro screamed, drawing his Katana. "You want me, you ugly sons of bitches?! Come and get me!!"

For the first beast that obliged him, Keitaro stepped up and severed its arm that was about to slash at him. He then came back around with his sword and took off its head. The next one, Keitaro severed its leg and then with an upward slash, opened its ribcage, cleaving its heart in two. Two more came at him with more ferocity than the first two. As they came from either side of him, Keitaro sliced off the hand of one, then cut off the other one's leg at the knee then came back at the other chopping into its body from the neck down to the stomach. As that one fell dead, he turned and as the beast held its injured leg on the floor, Keitaro thrust his sword down into its heart.

Seeing what had just unfolded, the remaining five stepped back in hesitation. Keitaro pulled his sword from the dead beast's chest. He looked up at them. His face was spattered with blood, their blood. With a quick swipe, he shed the blood from the blade onto the wall next to him.

"Okay, who's next?" He said.

Now desperate, all five came at him once, surrounding him. Keitaro immediately dropped down and took out the legs of the one in front of him and immediately jumped up and slashed its throat. Then he slashed open the midsections of the two behind him and as their entrails poured out onto the floor the remaining two came at Keitaro from both directions.

Both creatures then froze right where they were. They looked down. Keitaro had run one of their hearts through with his Katana and at the same time, plunged his 12 inch Bowie knife into the heart of the other. Pulling out both of his blades, the creatures fell to the ground with a loud boom. Keitaro was no longer within the realm of reason. The berserker rage had taken over. All around him was the red haze of fury.

He heard footsteps come up from behind him.

"RAAAHHH!!" he screamed as he spun around with his sword, aiming to take out this remaining beast behind him that he hadn't seen before. But his blade was stopped with the clang of another blade. It was Mei. However, this didn't register to Keitaro yet. His mind was still in the battle. He was still blinded by the rage. Using all his strength, he pushed her back against the wall.

"It's me, Keitaro! It's Mei! Keitaro!!" She yelled, but it wouldn't register

"Kill or be killed. Kill or be killed!" he repeated, pushing harder, the blade getting closer to her throat.

"I'm your friend, Keitaro! I'm your friend!"

Still, nothing registered.

"Motoko is waiting for you!!"

Keitaro stopped as his eyes blinked. He looked at Mei, truly seeing her now.

"Mei?"

"Yeah! It's me!"

He then let her go and took a few steps back. Slowly, he looked around as his senses came back to him.

"Kill the monsters or they kill me." Keitaro said, his eyes wondering from corpse to furry corpse as they reverted back to human form. Then he looked down at his bloody hands. "No…the only monster here…is me."

"Keitaro." She said to which he suddenly looked at her as if in shock. "You okay now?"

"Y-Yes…I am. Sorry. I must have lost my mind there."

"Don't worry about it." Mei then looked at her bloody surroundings. "Well, from the looks of things, I guess you didn't need my help after all."

She then walked over and put her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him as he still looked a little shaken.

"Come on, let's go find Motoko."

With a simple nod, he said,

"Right."

Evangeline looked over at Motoko as she realized how quiet she had become. She then looked back up at the moon and said,

"From the look of you, I'd say you haven't been a vampire for very long. Perhaps I can help you out, seeing as I have over a century's worth of experience. What would you like to know?"

"Is there a cure?" Motoko said plainly.

"A cure? Hah! That's preposterous. There is no cure, at least not that I'm aware of."

"Oh, I see." Motoko said sadly, as she looked away. She then looked back at her. "The thirst, is there a way to control it?"

"It gets easier with time. With each feeding, you gain more and more control over it and become less and less like a starved mad animal when it does strike. Just be patient with it. There is one important thing to know about the thirst when you become a vampire. Until you're able to control it, it effectively takes away all your inhibitions. All restraint simply disappears. Like I said, just be patient until you're able to control it better."

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" Motoko said, letting out a sigh.

"Not really."

Motoko folded her arms as she thought about more questions to ask.

"What are our weaknesses?"

"It depends on what bloodline you were turned from, but the most common ones are sunlight, garlic and silver. There are some vampires that are immune to sunlight and silver, but those rarities are far and few in between. Anyway, those are the main ones you should be aware of. Crosses and holy water don't work, so forget what you've seen in the movies. Oh! The Hawthorn plant. Stay away from it."

"Really? Hawthorn?"

"Trust me, it is not pleasant if you touch it."

"I see. Are we able to shape-shift. Turn into wolves and bats and such?"

"Again, don't believe what you see in the movies. What you see here is what you get."

Motoko became silent again. She then hugged her knees to her chest and said,

"I never wanted this, any of this. This coming May, my fiancé and I were going to be married. We were going to get our own place, finish college." Motoko's voice began to shudder with tears. "I wanted us to have children. I wanted to see them grow up…and see our grandchildren. I wanted Keitaro and I to grow old together. I…I wanted us to be together." Motoko let out a sniffle as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

Evangeline didn't say anything for a few moments, then she decided to speak up and say,

"You know…there was this one gentleman I fancied a short time ago. I kind of still do. His reputation described him as a 'master' of sorts. A 'Thousand Master' with mastery of a thousand spells. Heh, in actuality, he barely knew six or seven. He never even completed Wizard School. But there was just something about him, you know? To just be near him, with him, was all I needed. Then he sent me to a school and promised he would come back for me, but…he never did. No one knows what happened to him. He just disappeared. I…I really do mi…Heh, just listen to me. Isn't this embarrassing? Anyway, I'm sorry for your loss."

Motoko gave a nod and said,

"Thank you."

Evangeline then got up and showed a pleasant smile as she looked down at Motoko.

"Listen, if you do plan on staying in this forest indefinitely, you should think about the sun that will rise soon. Since there aren't any safe shelters nearby, I'm going to let know about a little trick you can use."

"Trick?"

"If you're ever caught out in the open at sunrise with no cover nearby, just dig a deep hole and bury yourself."

"Bury myself?"

"Yes. Truth be told, it's saved me more than a couple times." Evangeline then looked to the west and then back to Motoko. "Well, I've got to fly. It has been a pleasure, Motoko Aoyama. Perhaps someday we'll meet again, have another nice chat."

"Perhaps we will, Evangeline. It was good meeting you and thanks for the tips regarding us vampires."

"Don't mention it. I'm always happy to help out one of our own. Take care, Motoko."

"Take care, Evangeline."

Evangeline then rose up into the air and glided towards the western sky, leaving Motoko alone with her thoughts once more.

After a three hour helicopter flight back to Tokyo, Keitaro saw the Tachibana building coming into view. Mei then veered to the south towards Tokyo Bay, an action that caused Keitaro to turn to her in surprise and say,

"Where are we going?"

"Haneda Airport. My private jet will be waiting for us there. Then it's off to England."

Within fifteen minutes they were running across the long tarmac runway, being escorted by several Tachibana guards towards a black Global 5000 jet with 'Tachibana Corp' on the side of it. The jet's engines were already hot and running. Both of them now safely inside, the door behind them raised up, closed and became hermetically sealed. As soon as they sat down, the engines throttled up hard and the jet took off down the runway and up into the air.

Their surroundings inside were comfortable and luxurious. Cushioned leather seats, a full bar, an 80 inch widescreen HDTV with 600 channel satellite service, and even two gourmet chefs, ready to take any order. As he looked around him, Keitaro was more than impressed, he was in awe.

Mei then turned to Keitaro and said,

"It's a seven hour flight from Tokyo to London at the speed we'll be travelling. This might be a good opportunity for you to get some rest. There's a queen size bed in the back. If you're hungry, my specially trained chefs on board will provide you with anything you want."

"Thank you, very much. Well, I am pretty exhausted from the last mission. I think I'll catch a nap. Please let me know if anything new turns up about Motoko."

Mei looked at the digital readout on her wrist.

"Seeing as its 3pm here, the sun should coming up in England about now. If Motoko is indeed in England, she'll probably find shelter where she can and stay there for the duration of the daylight, giving us a good amount of time to get to her. We should land at Heathrow Airport at about 3pm, London time."

"Alright, sounds good. I'll talk to you in a couple hours." He said, heading for the bed in the back.

"Have a good nap." She said, before pulling out her laptop and accessing her global information network.

Meanwhile, back in the forest, Motoko looked over and saw the eastern horizon painted brilliantly with purples, reds and yellows. Soon the sun will peek over the snowy hills and cover the land in its white radiance. Motoko slowly stood up from her spot at the foot of her tree, continuing to admire the beautiful colors as they formed in the sky. She then looked down to the ground at her feet. She gave it a few stomps with her foot. It felt pretty solid.

She let out a sigh and said,

"Well, here goes nothing."

To the naked eye, Motoko's body turned into a dark blur as she switched over to vampire speed. Dirt flew high into the air in a steady stream as a hole opened up in the ground. Once she felt it was deep enough, Motoko phased back to normal speed. She then started to pull the dirt over her until she was completely buried. Motoko laid very still. Five feet underground, she was well protected from the sun's deadly rays. She could sense the shining light spreading over the land above her. She immediately became very sleepy and closed her eyes in the pitch blackness. Her body soon succumbed to her tiredness and her mind slipped into vivid dreams.

Keitaro awoke with the sunlight on his face from the small round window to his left. He became aware of the steady ambient roar of the plane's engines. Feeling refreshed, he made his way to the main cabin where Mei was still sitting down, going over the information on her laptop.

"How long was I out?" He said, walking up to her.

"A little over six and a half hours."

"Wow, I must have been more exhausted than I thought. Where are we now?"

"Right now, we're over the English Channel. We should arrive in London in about 15 minutes." She then turned her laptop towards him, showing a satellite photo of central England. "I have good news. While you were out, I received a report. At 11:46pm London time, a small black object was seen flying over the city of Clitheroe, England. It looks like your feeling was dead on, Keitaro. It was heading north so do you think we should change course for Scotland?"

"No, hold on. Let me take a closer look at the satellite photo." He looked at the photo carefully. "There! 5km north of Clitheroe, there's a large forest. It's just like it was in my dream."

"Dream? What did you see in your dream?"

"It was nighttime. I was walking down a dirt road that went through some fields. At the edge of the fields was a huge forest. I heard crying coming from the forest. Then there was an old woman that appeared. She spoke English with a British accent. She said the crying was the 'Weeping Shadow' and it only came out at night. I just knew without a doubt it was Motoko."

Speechless, Mei looked over at the photo.

"This is just too incredible. That's where she is. We've found her." She said, looking up at Keitaro.

With a nod and a relieved smile, he said,

"We've found her."

As she picked up the phone next to her, she said to Keitaro,

"I have a helicopter waiting for us at Heathrow as we speak. I'll just give the pilot the coordinates for our destination. Prep your gear, Keitaro. We're going hiking."

While Mei relayed the location to the helicopter pilot, Keitaro looked out the window. The culture and architecture of Great Britain was now below them and the airport was just coming into view.

'I'm coming, Motoko. We'll be together again soon. There's no way in hell I'm going to let you suffer in that forest for a hundred years.'

Kenji Aoyama paced restlessly back and forth in his quarters. A dim light from a burning candle cast his shadow on the wall that jumped and shuddered with the flickering flame, reflecting a nervous uneasiness that was in his soul. The time on his Rolex struck 1am. As he found the pacing did not help anything, he returned to his seat at the front of the room and tried to relax. However, he soon found this was not helping either.

An eager knock came to the door.

"Enter." Kenji said, a tone of irritation and impatience evident in his voice.

Hasegawa quickly entered, gave a bow and said,

"My lord, we've received a message from Mei Tachibana. She and Keitaro have arrived in London. They have reason to believe Miss Motoko is to the north near Clitheroe and will search for her there."

Kenji let out a sigh as the tenseness in his muscles lessened somewhat.

"I see. I pray they will find her. God speed to them."

The jet came in for a landing and stopped at the end of the runway where a helicopter stood running and ready. Once Mei and Keitaro were safely inside the helicopter, they lifted up and took off toward the north.

As they sat in the back, fastened in with their head sets on, Mei turned to Keitaro and said,

"I don't know the landscape of England as well as I know Japan. So that's why you don't see me in the pilot seat right now."

"Heh, that's a shame. Knowing you, you'd probably get us there much faster."

"Ain't that the truth. Anyway, he'll get us to the Clitheroe area quickly enough. It'll take about an hour. We should arrive just before sunset, I'd imagine, which will give us a little bit of time to search the forest before Motoko gets a chance to wake up and fly away on us."

"Yeah, if that happens, we'll be back to square one. But then again, I don't think that'll happen. According to my dream, she stayed there for a hundred years."

Mei turned her head to the passing clouds outside and folded her arms as if in deep thought for a moment.

She then said,

"Do you experience that a lot?"

"What do you mean?"

"Seeing things in your dreams."

Keitaro took some time to think about it.

"Well…It's sort of touch and go. Sometimes I'll get these dreams and they won't make sense or even seem important until later."

"That's definitely the case here. Beyond a doubt, the things you saw in that dream helped point the way to Motoko's location." She said.

Mei then looked at him seriously as she got a little closer.

"Setting that aside for now, I'd like to talk to you about today, Keitaro."

"Today?"

"Down in the White Wolf complex."

"Oh, yeah. I'm lucky I got out of there alive."

"Lucky? Keitaro, you took down ten 700lb werewolves by yourself. You didn't just take them down, you slaughtered them. When I showed up, you were ready to take me on as well."

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. I don't know what came over me. I got angry and everything just went crazy."

Mei leaned back and relaxed a bit.

"Don't worry about it, Keitaro. It happens from time to time. In the heat of battle, a warrior will sometimes go berserk. All irrelevant thought goes out the window and they're left with nothing but the instincts to fight and kill. Battle prowess and efficiency temporarily increases exponentially. Unfortunately, in most cases, the person is no longer able to discern between friend and foe and just cuts down everyone in their path. I've seen it more than once. Though I was surprised that I was one of those you tried to cut down, I understand the state of mind you were in, so I don't hold it against you. Those wolves must have roughed you up pretty good for you to lose it like that, huh."

"Yeah." He said.

Keitaro looked at her as if he wanted to say more but simply stayed silent instead. Mei saw this and said,

"What? You wanted to say something, right? Just say it."

"Well, um, I was just thinking. Even thought you're still young, you must have been to a lot of battlefields in your lifetime, seen a lot of bad things."

Mei looked slightly away as the memories came back to her.

"Yeah…The kind of things that give you nightmares."

"Does it ever get to you?"

"Soldiers find ways of coping. Still, war is a horrible thing. Compared to what I've seen, Vietnam and Korea would be a walk in the park. Each and every battle I've fought has marked my body. Whoever decides to marry me will surely see how many battles I've been in. Some scars remind me of a hatred or grudge." Mei then raised her hand to her left arm and felt the long scar under her suit. "But still, others remind of forgiveness."

"I see. Motoko told me about that."

"She did? Well, it does make sense. As close as you two are, of course she would tell you everything."

"Apparently it happened right before I came to Hinata."

"Yeah, things were different back then. At the time, I closed myself off to reason and just lived for nothing but revenge. I'm…glad Motoko made me see the truth. I'll always be grateful to her for that."

"She never gave up on you."

"I'm grateful for that too." She then let out a laugh. "I must be getting soft."

"No, it just proves that you're human."

"Maybe you're right."

The helicopter left the city limits of concrete and steel and soon flew over the countryside of frozen snow-covered hills and icy valleys.

Motoko found herself standing in what she recognized as one of the main bathrooms of the Aoyama Estate. The air was thick with hot moisture flowing from the open shower to her right. The tiles under her feet were cold and the porcelain sink that she rested her hands upon was cool and smooth like glass. Her long hair felt damp as it ran down to the small of her back. Drops of water constantly ran down the ends of her hair and lightly fell to the floor.

She soon realized that she was standing nude, staring at her own reflection in the mirror. She was indeed herself, but yet she was different. Looking closer, she noticed right away the single stream of silver running through her raven hair. Her bangs had grown out long and her hair was parted down the middle. Her face was a tad more slender, but her skin was still smooth, youthful and clear. As she took a step or two back to get a better look at the rest of herself, she saw that she had grown a little in all the right places and had remained fit everywhere else. Her flat stomach and muscular thighs were just as she remembered. However, she noticed that her chest had grown to yet another breast size. She then turned around to see that her butt had become a little more rounded, but not displeasing in appearance by any means.

Not really knowing what to make of her situation, she donned the bath robe she had noticed hanging behind her and ran her fingers through her hair, moving it back on her head. She then wrapped it into a loose knot and put it up.

After a moment or so, a tiny knock came at the door next to her. She hesitated for a second. Then she opened it to see a little five year old boy with black hair and glasses, holding a piece of paper in his hands. He showed her a cute smile as he looked up at her.

"H-Hello there." Motoko said, returning the smile as she knelt down in front of him.

The boy gave her a curious look for a moment. Then he said,

"Are you okay, Mommy?"

Motoko froze at hearing that last word. She was dumfounded as she looked at the boy who was patiently awaiting her response. Then, thinking of all she's seen so far, she let out a relaxed sigh as she finally understood.

'I see. So he's mine.' She thought, forming a bright smile.

"Yes, Baby. Mommy is okay."

The boy then held out the piece of paper to her that he had been holding and said,

"I drew a picture, Mommy. Wanna see?"

"Sure, let me take a look." She said, taking the paper and looking at it. "Ooooh, look at that. That's a very cute rabbit."

"Mommy, that's not a rabbit. That's a cat."

"Heh, heh. Sorry. It's a very cute cat, Sweetie."

"Mommy?"

"What is it, Baby?"

"Megumi and Mariko were teasing me."

"Megumi and Mariko?" She said.

"Yeah. Megumi kept sayin' the bat monster lives around here and he likes to swoop down from the sky and eat little boys like me. And Mariko held me down and yelled 'bat monster, bat monster come and get him'. I was scared, Mommy."

Motoko just took him into her arms and gave him a warm loving hug.

"Don't believe them. The bat monster won't come to eat you." Motoko then pulled back and showed him a smile. "And if he does, I'll kill him with my sword. I'll cut him clean in half."

"Ha ha, thanks, Mommy." He said cutely.

Not two seconds went by before the two girls in question showed up behind him. They were eight and nine. The younger had long silver hair while the older had long raven hair like Motoko's.

"Keisuke," The silver haired one started. "You little tattle-tail."

"Then you shouldn't have picked on me, Megumi. Besides, Mommy said she'd kill the bat monster, so there." Keisuke said, looking over at her with folded arms. Then he looked over at the other and said, "You too, Mariko."

Mariko looked up at Motoko and said,

"But Mom, we were just having fun."

Then Megumi said,

"Yeah, no harm done, right?"

Motoko stared at them for a second.

'They must be my daughters.' Motoko thought. 'I have three children? So it's Keisuke, Megumi and Mariko, huh? Hmm.'

Motoko then stood up, looked at the two girls and said in a stern voice,

"Megumi. Mariko. If you continue to tease your brother, I will give the servants the day off and make the both of you do all the house work."

"But Mom!" The two protested in unison.

"No buts!" Motoko shot back. "Am I clear?"

"Yes, Mom." The two whined.

Motoko then picked Keisuke up into her arms and said,

"Now go out and play. The little man here and I have some things to talk about."

As the two girls left and Motoko started down the hallway with Keisuke, she said,

"So tell me, Sweetie. Where's Daddy?"

"You know that, Mommy."

"I do?"

"Yeah, Daddy's coming home today. He was at a dig in China for two weeks."

"Oh, heh, now I remember."

'Not really.'

"Are you sure you're okay, Mommy?"

Motoko showed him a reassuring smile as she said,

"Oh, I'm fine, Baby. Mommy's just playing…a game, yeah that's it. You like to play games, right? Hey, I know. Can you tell me what the date is today?"

"Oh, I know this one! It's um, Saturday August 2nd, 2014." He said, happily.

'So, I'm only 29? I certainly didn't waste any time, did I? I wonder if I have any more children running around.'

As Motoko passed the windows to the courtyard on her right, she saw that it was a bright and sunny summer day outside. After she and Keisuke stopped and took a moment to look out, Motoko then heard a voice call to her from the main entrance of the house.

"Motoko? Kids? I'm home!"

She recognized the voice right away as she formed a great smile. Motoko rushed towards the main entrance. But as she did, the hallway began to stretch and become longer, moving the entrance farther and farther out of her reach. Little Keisuke had disappeared from her arms and everything suddenly went dark. The steady chopping sound of what she figured out was a helicopter filled her senses.

Motoko awoke within her dirt surroundings. The memory of everything that happened came back to her at once as she gave a groan of discontent.

'Oh, so I'm back to reality…as much as it sucks. Now…what was I dreaming about? Hmm, I forgot.'

The sound of the helicopter drew closer and closer. She heard it loud and clear through the earth with her vampire hearing. However, she could not yet go up to investigate. For she could still sense the sunlight shining on the ground above her. She had no other choice but to stay right where she was and wait, for now.

Keitaro looked out the window as they passed the city of Clitheroe on their right. The Forest of their destination had come into view before them. The sun was just touching the horizon, slowly going from orange to red as it crept lower and lower.

The helicopter touched down in a snow covered wheat field in front of the forest. Before the copter's blades could even get a chance to slow down, Mei and Keitaro threw open the door, hopped out and sprinted for the forest. Coming at a stop at the forest's edge, they studied their surroundings for a moment. Mei then glanced at her time readout.

"We've got about five minutes until the light leaves this area. Not a lot of time to search." Mei said.

"We'll have to make due. Let's go!" Keitaro said.

The two then dashed forward into the wooded area. Mei put on her visor and set it to infra-red mode to check for any weak heat signatures. Keitaro did the same with his contact lenses. The two split up, hoping to cover more ground in what little time they have. Keitaro searched the eastern part of the forest while Mei searched the western part.

Keitaro looked all around him. Moving quickly, he gazed carefully at the rocks, trees, snow covered branches and even the soil beneath his feet. So far, his infra-red vision picked up nothing but dark blues and blacks. He saw no heat signatures whatsoever, save for the white-orange color of his own footsteps. Mei didn't have much better luck as she rushed at the same pace. Keitaro continued to frantically search the area. He didn't want to risk calling out for her, for fear that she might run away again or even worse, hurt herself in what little sunlight remained.

As the minutes ticked down, the light slowly receded from a certain patch of loose earth. Keitaro was still fairly far away and hadn't noticed it yet. More and more the light faded from the area until the patch was completely cast in shadow. Movement was heard under the ground and suddenly a closed fist broke up through the dirt. The sun finally disappeared from the horizon, leaving only an orange afterglow behind. All of the loose dirt then shot up into the air with a loud boom and pieces of earth rained down everywhere. Both Mei and Keitaro heard it, immediately turning in its direction.

Keitaro was much closer and was able to make it there sooner. Running up to the scene, what he found was a deep dark hole that was empty. He then looked around him.

'Oh, hell with it.' He thought, taking a deep breath.

"MOTOKO!! Where are you!!" He called out as loud as he could.

Motoko, who was nearby, jerked her head up as she heard the voice. Her eyes widened because she recognized it right away. However, she was preoccupied with a powerful yet familiar pain in her chest. The Thirst had returned with a vengeance. She keeled over, doing her best to struggle against it, but alas it was futile. She quickly succumbed to the dark need inside her. She stood tall and looked in Keitaro's direction with a devilish smile on her face.

At that same moment, Keitaro received a transmission over his comm. link.

"_Keitaro, what are you doing? You're giving away your position._" Mei said through his ear piece.

"This isn't an enemy we're dealing with, Mei. It's Motoko!" Keitaro snapped back.

"_True as that may be, the fact is she may not be herself. Listen, I didn't want to tell you this, but…_"

"But what?"

"_While you were sleeping I had also received another report. Local authorities found a burned wrecked car on a highway near Shimonoseki. The man they found inside was charred beyond recognition. The door appeared to have been torn off_."

"Yeah, so?"

"_Handprints were found mashed into the sides of the door, handprints that would match a Japanese woman. Not only that, but there was also a trail of blood leading away from the car_."

Keitaro felt a sting in his heart.

"No…it's not true." He said, unbelieving.

"_Keitaro_-"

"No! It wasn't her! She wouldn't have done that!"

"_Our research has shown that when a vampire has a craving for blood, it affects their better judgment. Morals, inhibitions, they disappear leaving them unable to discern between right and wrong. In that state, there is only need and want and the means to obtain them with nothing standing in their way."_

"So what are you saying?" He said, painfully, even though he already understood perfectly well.

"_I'm saying, she just woke up and more than likely, she's thirsty. She may not be the Motoko we know right now. You need to take caution_."

Keitaro fell silent for a moment as he heard the forest around him begin to come alive. He began to experience strong feelings of fear and foreboding. It felt as if he was being watched by threatening eyes. Eyes that studied him, were hunting him.

He then said,

"Roger…Understood."

He slowly reached down to his belt, opened a pouch and pulled out an item.

Mei ran as fast as she could as she honed in on his position to give him back up as quickly as possible. According to her radar, she was at one end of the forest while the blip that registered as Keitaro was all the way at the other end. Then she switched over to her motion sensor and saw there was tons of activity going on around him in the shape of a hurricane.

'This is not good. If I don't hurry, he's as good as dead.' She thought, running even faster.

Meanwhile, Keitaro stood very still as the swirling eerie noises surrounded him in a strange quiet whirlwind. Then, everything went silent. All was so unnaturally quiet and still that is seemed as if time itself had stopped. He carefully scanned his surroundings with his enhanced vision. There were no heat signatures or any detectable motion for that matter.

Suddenly, Keitaro froze as he felt a very disturbing chill run down his spine. The camera moved ever so much to reveal Motoko standing right behind him with a very dark malice showing in her eyes.

'Oh, no.' he thought as he quickly ducked, sensing the attack at the last moment.

He moved just in time to avoid a set of razor sharp claws that would have tore open the back of his neck. He rolled forward and faced his attacker. His heart dropped as soon as he saw her. He saw what she had become. Her skin was as white as the snow around her. The irises of her eyes were as red as blood. Those eyes were fixed on him as if sizing him up for his weight in blood. Her lips, which were curled into a devilish smile, had turned to a dark icy purple. The claws that extended from her long white fingers were black and sharp, giving them the appearance of polished ebony. The black samurai armor that she wore was covered in scrapes, gouges and dents.

Keitaro speechless, Motoko's smile grew ever wider as she said,

"Well, well. You're more foolish than I thought you were, Keitaro Urashima." She then started to circle him with slow, confident steps. "I don't know how you found me, but the fact is you won't live long enough for it to matter." She then looked up at the forest behind him. "Ah, so you brought Mei with you. I'd recognize her heavy breathing from a mile away. Even if she did get here in time, she wouldn't be able to save you."

Finally finding his voice to speak, he said,

"Motoko, you're not yourself. You need help. We've found a cure."

"A cure? And why would I want to be cured? I have everything I could ever need. Eternal life, unlimited strength, incredible speed and an endless supply of food." She then bared her fangs as she inched closer. "Speaking of which, I'm very thirsty, Keitaro. Mind giving me a drink?"

Standing up and facing her, he resorted to reason.

"Don't do this, Motoko. If you kill me, the sorrow will never end, for all eternity."

"Why would I be sad? I couldn't be happier right now."

She then stopped a foot in front of him.

Keitaro gave a somber expression and said in a gentle voice,

"Motoko…do you really want to become the Weeping Shadow?"

"Weeping what?" She said, giving a curious look. She then shook her head as her smile returned to her. She looked up at him menacingly and said,

"Enough talk. Coming here tonight, you've signed your own death warrant. You would have been safer back in Hinata."

Without warning, she spun around and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying backwards into the trunk of a tree. He hit the tree so hard, it tore the bark right off it. Keitaro dropped to his knees, fell forward and then lay motionless in the snow.

Giving an amused laugh as she turned away, she said,

"Hah! What a pathetic human. Killing you would almost be a waste of my time."

Then, hearing movement behind her, she quickly turned around to see Keitaro rise to his feet and stand tall, seemingly unaffected by her attack.

"What- How?!" She said, confused as she looked at him.

On his wrist readout was a meter, showing a bar representing the level of a certain chemical flowing through his bloodstream. The bar was at 100. An empty compact injector gun fell from his hand to the snow at his feet.

Keitaro brushed the loose splintered bark from his shoulders and said,

"Sweetheart…you're coming home with me."

Then, with a speed that nearly matched hers, he dashed at her, grabbed her at the midsection and rammed her through 500 feet of small trees, demolishing them to pieces. After being momentarily dazed, she then regained control by grabbing Keitaro, dropping down and flipping him over her with her feet, sending him flying into the frozen brush.

After a moment, he emerged from the torn up woods and called out, "Come on!" taunting her.

Now growing furious, Motoko ran at him at full speed. She aimed her claws right for his throat. Using his own speed, Keitaro quickly strafed to one side. He grabbed her by her arm and the belt of her armor, spun her around and slammed her into the side of a tree, breaking the tree in half. She fell to the ground and lay there, temporarily subdued. Keitaro walked up to her and said,

"You know I'm only doing this because I love you, Honey."

Shooting him a look of rage, she said,

"Go XXXX yourself, you stupid human!"

She then snapped to her feet, grabbed the fallen tree next to her with both hands and swung it hard at Keitaro. The hit sent him arching up into the air over the forest.

Giving a satisfied smile, she said,

"Wooo! Home run! Hahahaha!"

She then dropped the tree and hunched over as she was reminded of her painful thirst. It ripped through her, growing more ravenous by the minute.

Across the forest, Mei stopped as she saw on her radar that Keitaro was getting closer to her, fast. She looked around her. Seeing nothing, she looked back at her radar with a confused look. 100 meters, 50 meters, 25 meters. She was then startled by the loud boom that sounded next to her. She looked over and there was Keitaro, disorientated as he lay in a shallow crater.

"Keitaro!" She yelled, jumping down in the crater next to him. "Keitaro, are you alright? Answer me!"

Keitaro then grabbed her by the shoulder and weakly said,

"Get out of here. She's coming."

Mei suddenly felt herself being picked up from behind.

"Get out of my way, bitch!" Motoko yelled, tossing Mei aside like a rag doll.

Motoko then stood over Keitaro, looked down at him with a fanged smile and said,

"Now where were we? Ah, yes. I was going to quench my thirst."

She then grabbed him by the neck, turned his head to the side and said,

"Any last words?"

Keitaro looked at her for a moment. He just gave a surrendering smile and said,

"I'll…never let you…become a shadow."

Giving an accepting nod, she said,

"Alright. Not quite Henry V, but hey, at least it's not Richard III. Now, in the words of Juliet, 'Goodnight, Sweet Prince'."

She opened her mouth, extended her fangs and brought them closer and closer to his jugular. As they were just about the touch the skin, Keitaro sprung to life, grabbed her by the hair, pulled out an auto-injector syringe and stuck it right into her neck. Pressing the button on the end, he shot the serum right into her bloodstream. Fearful, she stumbled back away from him.

"W-what the hell did you put in me?!" She said as she felt her strength being leached away from her.

She then fell to the ground, writhing about wildly. Keitaro stood up, took a few deep breaths and watched her.

"I told you…I'm bringing you home." He said.

The scarlet red began to fade from her eyes. Her long, black claw like nails shrank and returned to a normal pink. A very healthy flesh tone flushed back to her skin, making it look alive once more. Now calming down, she rolled over onto her side as her fast breaths began to slow to normal. Seeing this, Keitaro knelt down and carefully took her into his arms. He then lifted her up and leapt out of the crater.

Keitaro looked over to his right to see Mei walking up to him. She was holding her arm and walking with a limp. She looked at Motoko who was staring into space in a state of shock. She then looked at Keitaro and said with a smile,

"Good job, Keitaro. Mission accomplished."

"Yes." He said, looking down at Motoko's face with a grateful smile. He then felt her start to shiver. "We need to get her someplace warm."

"There should be blankets in the helicopter. Let's go!" Mei said, as they moved out.

Motoko felt the bitter cold wind flow right through her. She has never been this cold in her entire life. All strength had left her. She felt so weak that she could barely move. She couldn't even move her head to look around. Even so, she experienced the feeling of safety and security in these two strong arms that held her, carried her. In her eyes, she saw the trees quickly go by. All sound seemed to go in and out. What she did hear was warped, distorted. The trees then gave way to an open snowy field. As she heard the familiar whir of a rotary engine begin to surround her, her vision quickly dimmed as she finally faded into unconsciousness.

Motoko awoke to a steady roar that surrounded her. She could also hear voices talking, but she couldn't tell whose they were. Her eyes slowly opened and what she saw was blurred and hard to focus on. When her vision cleared she saw the inside of an airplane window with the night clouds quickly going by outside. She struggled to turn her head toward where she was sure the voices were coming from. Her vision blurred again. She saw two figures at the corner of her small room. When her eyes focused once more, she recognized Keitaro and Mei standing by the edge of her bed. She tried to form a weak smile as she looked at him, but it was happening again. Her consciousness was slipping, she could feel it. Soon, all went dark once more.

Motoko opened her eyes from what seemed like a long sleep. Right away, she felt a pounding in her head. She slowly raised her hand to her head as she looked around. She saw the familiar surroundings of hers and Keitaro's room. She was laying on the large futon on the floor and several warm blankets were covering her.

"How are you feeling?" She heard a voice ask next to her.

She turned her head to see Keitaro kneeling beside her with a bright smile and Mei leaning against the wall behind him, forming a pleasant smile of her own.

Still feeling the pounding of her head, she said,

"I feel like I was hit by a bus and then run over by the 18 wheeler behind it. How long was I out?"

"About 18 hours." Keitaro said, letting out a modest laugh. Then his tone became serious. "We were lucky to have found you, my love."

"I don't think luck had much to do with it, Keitaro." Mei then added, giving him a wink.

"Well, there was that too, but anyway, I'm just so glad we have you back, Motoko."

Motoko slowly raised her hand to his face and gently touched his cheek.

"Anata…it feels like I've been gone for such a long time." She said, showing him a grateful smile.

A blank stare then came over Motoko as she remembered all that happened.

"Oh, God." She said, covering her face as she turned away. "I killed someone."

"Motoko," He said, gently turning her back to him and moving her hands from her face. "You weren't yourself. Besides…taking lives…is something we're both guilty of."

"You? Oh, no. Keitaro, no. Not you." She said, painfully, shaking her head.

"A vampire hunter group had stolen the cure from the Tachibana Labs. I was the point man on the retrieval mission. After I infiltrated their base, I got the cure, but then a whole pack of werewolves attacked me. I…I had no choice. It was either them or me and I had to live to bring you the cure."

Motoko didn't say a word. She just took him into her arms and held him as tight as she could.

"You found me, Anata. You found me and saved me. Thank you. But…now…because of this, both our souls have been tarnished."

Keitaro, holding on to her as well, tenderly said,

"Perhaps we can repent for our sins by dedicating our lives to saving the lives of others. Maybe then, someday, the lives that we took will be forgiven."

The two shared a silent, tender Moment as they held each other on the futon.

Motoko then pulled back and said,

"Oh, no. We fought, didn't we? Do you have any injuries?" She said, looked him over.

"I'll be fine. Just a few bumps and bruises." He said reassuringly, giving his chest a couple pats.

Motoko then noticed he was shaking.

"What's wrong, Sweetheart? You're shaking."

"Those are the after-effects of the serum he took. Believe me, he's doing much better now than he was earlier while you were still out." Mei said.

"I'm so glad." She said, straightening his hair with her fingers. "What about me? Why do I feel so horrible?"

"Those are the side-effects of the cure. You'll experience mild flu-like symptoms. They should go away in about a day or so." Mei then pushed away from the wall and said, "Well, looks like my job here is done. Take care, you two. I'll be seeing you."

With a casual wave, Mei left the room and walked out into the hallway where all the Hinata girls were waiting eagerly. Looking at each and every one of them, Mei then said,

"She's awake and she'll be just fine. You can go in and see her now."

After giving Mei a thankful bow, they all then flooded inside.

Motoko was surprised at how quickly the room had filled with so many grateful voices and tears of joy. Mei just quietly closed the door and took her leave.

A day passed and Motoko and Keitaro had completely recovered. They took this opportunity to engage in some passionate and much overdue TLC.

Afterwards, we see Motoko sitting quietly on the futon, with Keitaro resting his head in her lap. Gently, she stroked his hair as he lay with his eyes closed, slowly caressing the soft skin of her legs.

"Keitaro?"

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

"What do you think we should name our children?"

"Wha?!" Keitaro said, sitting up and looking at her in serious surprise.

Motoko then let out a giggle as she saw the urgency in his eyes.

"Sorry, did I catch you off guard." She said, smiling at him.

"Off guard? I don't think anybody can be _on_ guard for that. Is there something you're not telling me, Motoko?!"

"No, don't worry, Hun. I was just thinking, you know? So how about it?"

Keitaro then laid back down on her lap and gave it some thought for a moment.

"Well…if we do have a boy…how about we name him-"

"Keisuke?" She said.

"Yeah…how did you know what I was going to say?"

"Oh, just a lucky guess." She said, playfully.

With a smile, Keitaro got up and lovingly pushed her down onto the soft futon. He then leaned down as they joined in a passionate kiss.

Keitaro then looked into her beautiful adoring eyes as he lightly ran his fingers through her silky raven hair.

"I love you, my dearest Motoko."

Gently, laying a hand on his face as she showed a grateful smile, she said,

"And I love you, my darling Keitaro."

And so, all had returned to normal in the lives of Motoko and Keitaro. Though the physical and mental scars remain from the events of the last few days, with time, they will surely heal and fade away like the memories of a bad dream. For true love is a miraculous and powerful force, able to overcome impossible odds. And that love will burn forever and ever in the hearts these two inseparable warriors.

_End_


End file.
